Treasure Chest
by EverlastingBliss
Summary: Etched on a worn chest in an abandoned graveyard are the memories from their childhoods to their promotions to chunin. Why is it that a ninja should die young? That a teacher must watch his students die?
1. Moonstone: Dreams

A/N: This is my first fanfic. Suggestions welcome.It may seem OC-centric, but believe me, the focus is still on Minato. I just felt like telling his life story from one of his acquaintances, instead of himself.

**Bolded sections mean they happen in present. Everything else happened in the past.**

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_Introduction - Moonstone: Dreams_

_

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_**Light from a crescent moon glides over the cemetery, bathing each grave with silver. Then, it focuses on one tombstone in particular, as if puzzled. There is no mound of earth to indicate that someone was buried there. Instead, a bare tombstone stands. There is no name, no inscriptions at all. Indeed, for there is no need. Her name, like hundreds of others, have been carved on to the memorial stone, to be forever remembered by Konoha.**

**Beside the tombstone stands an ebony chest. Inside lies her most precious mementos: albums of her with her teammates, her teachers, and her friends. Different frames with different pictures taken on different occasions: happy, sober, and sad. A tattered headband. A leaf-shaped kunai. Most eye-catching of all: A white cloak with the red words:** Yondaime Hokage.

**The chest itself is tattered and stained, but one could still make out the symbol carved on the top: Uchiha.**

**Lying on the lid of the chest was a shattered picture frame. One could make out a white-haired teacher standing proudly beside his three students: a smiling blonde boy with startling blue eyes, a serious girl, and a tanned boy with dark brown hair.**

**Everyone has dreams. Once they die, they are gone forever.**

**The dream begins…**

* * *

_A light rain drizzled down, with thunder rumbling softly overhead. Rain…rain…rain…_

_A bleak mood settled over the village. __Here, in front of the Hokage Mountain, a funeral is being held, a funeral without a coffin._

_The villagers, shinobi and citizens alike, bowed their heads in respect, stepped up, placed white roses in front of a black-framed picture, and returned to their positions._

_A shinobi…must never, NEVER, show their tears…_

_Various clans attended this ceremony: Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aubrame, among others. Surprisingly, one prominent clan was missing: Uchiha. _

_An outsider would have been bewildered, for the funeral was dedicated to a member of the Uchiha clan. However, They would not know that the dead young woman was exiled from clan territory despite her mastery over the Sharingan, a valuable asset to the position of her clan. _

_Her few friends, expressions somber, placed the flowers next to her picture._

_A shinobi…must never, NEVER, show their tears…_

_She wanted her friends to remember her as she was when alive. She told them this when she signed up for the mission. If she were to see them now, she would have strangled them on the spot, or perhaps run them through with a kunai, or... _

_The Sandaime Hokage, a shadow of what he had been before the war, stepped up to the platform._

"_We gather here today," he began, "in memory of Uchiha Mikazuki, revered student, teammate, and teacher." He didn't bother to mention her position in her family, for most would know that she had been disowned. _

"_Her mission was a success," the Hokage continued, "which, in turn gained us a prominent upper hand in battle with Iwakagure."_

_His audience shifted uncomfortably at the mentioning of war. _

"_Sadly, her body was irretrievable, so," the Sandaime pointed to an ebony chest, "we decide to bury this, with her most precious memories. If you have something that you would like to put in this chest, please do so." His voice broke on the last part._

_Several figures emerged from the crowd, carrying pictures, weapons, scrolls…they placed them in the open chest without a word, and moved away. _

_A shinobi…must never, NEVER, show their tears…_

_Off to the side, a certain distance away from the crowd, was a lone man. His left arm had been lost in the war, yet he held himself with the proud air of a shinobi. He was holding a picture, the picture she had given him before going on that deadly mission. He looked down at the picture, a sad smile tugging at his lips. It was taken when they had just finished their first B-rank, and was sitting under a larch tree. A single tear slid down his tanned face as he remembered that day…_

* * *

"Argh…where the HELL is sensei?!" The girl with the onyx eye growled. Her black hair was cropped short, often making people mistake her for a boy. She actually had to escape from several fangirls once. Her two teammates, one blonde and one brown-haired, laughed.

"I'll bet you one month's pay that he is at the women's bathing house, doing _re-sear-ch_." The blonde boy rolled his unnaturally-blue eyes and challenged the girl.

"Che. We don't need to bet. We _know_ that he is there." The girl retorted, clearly ticked off by the blonde's poor attempt to distract her. Bored, she jumped up to a branch, dangling upside-down and holding on with charka.

The blond boy jumped to a branch parallel from the girl on the other side of the tree. "Then why do you ask?" His blue eyes danced mischievously.

"Shut up Minato!!" The girl swung her right leg at the blonde, who dodged and jumped to a slightly higher branch, out of the range of her leg.

"Temper, temper, temper," Minato teased. "It is going to be the death of you one day, Zuki-_chan_." He added the suffix on purpose.

The girl glowered.

Hoshibiki decided to stay out of this argument. He sighed. They haven't changed one bit. Ever since their return from the mission, they had been acting like age-old enemies, as unpredictable as fire and ice.

Speaking of fire…Hoshibiki saw a flash out of the corner of his eye and ducked his head. A burst of flames traveled down a thin string and headed straight for Minato, who gracefully jumped to a higher branch. Hoshibiki looked in astonishment at Mikazuki, the string twined around her hands, which are in the tiger seal.

"Hey! You didn't tell me you are developing a new technique!" Minato complained.

"It is not new." The girl replied flatly as she broke off the string, leaving it dangling from the burned branch. "I am merely experimenting with ways of increasing the range of fire-attacks without exerting a larger amount of charka. It was inspired by the demon we met during the mission." She looked at the branch ruefully, for only the bark was burnt off. "It still needs more work."

Minato let out the breath he has been holding and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, confident that Mikazuki had expressed enough of her anger at their perverted sensei to not unleash it on him again. He inwardly pouted. He hated to admit it, but Mikazuki took him by surprise. _Damn, I need to work harder,_ he thought, blue eyes flashing.

"Hey…" Two pairs of eyes turned on him, one blue and one black. Hoshibiki sweat dropped. _I am so glad that looks can't kill._ "Do you two hear something?" he said.

Mikazuki and Minato were about to reply when a commotion turned all three of their heads to the right.

"Eeeek!! Pervert!!" A scream was heard, followed by a storm of 'bangs' and 'crashes' and more screams.

Mikazuki sighed. "I am guessing that we will have to drag him to the hospital instead of train, _again_."

Hoshibiki grinned, flashing his teeth like a wolf. "Indeed, for Tsunade-sensei will be here any minute."

All three of them shuddered.

Sure enough, a blonde blur was seen, literally crashing into the bathing house.

"JARAIYAAAAA!!"

The said man's three students winced and cringed as 'crashes' and 'thuds' shook their larch tree. Mikazuki and Minato almost fell off. Leaves fluttered down around them.

Then silence.

Mikazuki grinned. She made a bunshin, who jumped off the tree and walked out a distance from the tree. The bunshin held out a camera, adjusting the lenses so that the tree, part of the bathing house, and a large portion of the sky were in focus.

"Anytime now," both Mikazuki and her clone smirked. The Uchiha smirk. The evil, up-to- no-good smirk. The smirk that makes her teammates wonder if they should check just to be sure that she didn't stick explosive tags all over them.

A large noise turned all of their heads, except the bunshin's, to the bath house again.

"YOU, BIG, FREAKIN', PERVERT!!" One more sound of a fist connecting with face, and a small, black, figure _flew_ out of the bathhouse. The camera clicked.

The bunshin poofed away after throwing Mikazuki the camera.

"Geez, do you carry that thing _everywhere_?" Hoshibiki asked, exasperated.

Mikazuki laughed. She jumped down from the tree after Minato, and put her arms around her teammates' shoulders. She ruffled their hair, making both boys protest.

"Let's go get sensei to the hospital."

* * *

_A shinobi…must never, NEVER, show their tears…_

_Yet, more tears slid down Hoshibiki's face. Even though he is only twenty-six, there were wrinkles on his forehead, wrinkles from crying, crying over Minato, Kushina, his sensei, and now, Mikazuki._

"_All gone," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "All gone."_

_The picture frame dropped to the ground, glass shattering. _

_He sensed someone behind him. "Hokage-sama," Hoshibiki nodded his head in acknowledgement without turning back._

"_Kaguya Hoshibiki," the Hokage placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll understand if you don't want-"_

"_It is okay, Hokage-sama," Hoshibiki swallowed and interrupted. "I want to do it."_

_The Hokage nodded and led him to the chest, which was nearly full. Hoshibiki placed the shattered picture into the chest, right on the top, and closed the lid._

_He watched with dull eyes as the chest was carried to the Uchiha cemetery, despite the protests of that arrogant and ignorant clan. Mikazuki…he laughed weakly. If only she wasn't born into this clan, who thought itself superior to all others, her life would be much easier. But then again, she would also not be able develop that personality of hers, that willingness to learn and apologize, lacked in most Uchiha._

_He looked over his shoulder at the Hokage, who nodded in approval of his leaving. Hoshibiki jumped to the roof of the closest building, and sped away. Some may call him a coward, but he didn't care. He could not bear to think of another teammate been packed away in a box and buried in the ground, to be gone forever. He had hardly stood it when they did the same thing to Minato, if it weren't for the silent gestures of support offered by his sensei and Mikazuki. Now, with them both gone, he was alone. Alone._

_His eyes cleared as he realized the place he had arrived at without thinking: the memorial stone._

_He stepped towards it, puddles sloshing around his sandals. He still remembers the day when he tripped in such puddles and brought down Mikazuki and Minato with him into the mud, resulting in Tsunade-sensei yelling at them to wash themselves before going into the hospital to help. They had laughed about it for months afterwards._

_He reached out a hand and traced the names on the stone. He stopped at the last one, the newest addition: Uchiha Mikazuki._

_The rain continued its ceaseless drizzle. The thunder continued to rumble softly overhead. And tears still traveled down the face of a war-torn veteran, who cried for his fallen comrades._

_0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

**Author:** Well...what do you guys think? I sincerely apologize for verb tense problems. Grammar is never my strong part. XD I hope to finish the next chapter soon. I have already started on it, but i can't be sure when it would be up. I have finals for school and a piano exam, and summer school after that... T.T I will never give up on this story though! So please bear with me. Arigatou!

The idea for this story came to me a long time ago after seeing the picture of Minato with his teammates. I finally decided to write it down. **Constructive criticism are much appreciated. **I am not exactly clear on the timeline, so some might be altered to suit the story. Yes, Obito is going to be in here, Kushina too. XD Thank you, everyone.

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	2. Onyx: Birth

A/N: Wow. I did not expect anyone to actually read this story. Thanks, ImTooLazyToThinkOfAPenName 

Disclaimer: (Since i forgot one last time) If I owned Naruto, this story would not be on Fanfiction.

**Bold is in present. Everything else happened in the past.**

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_Chapter 1 - Onyx: Birth_

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**Among the contents of the chest is a book, on which the clan symbol was emblazed.**

**"_Only a male is allowed to keep our bloodline. Women are not strong enough to hold the bloodline. A female must be purified within twenty-four hours before the bloodline become irremovable!! Women must be kept under the control of their fathers and their husbands. If they had the bloodline, the consequences would be unthinkable!!"_**

**"_Women born in our clan cannot marry outsiders in risk of leaking our bloodline to other clans."_**

**"_Women who marry into our clan must take vows. If she divorces, she must leave her children with us!"_**

**"_It is a father's responsibility to arrange his children's marriages."_**

**"_We retain the right to punish any member who violate the rules set by our ancestors. The hokage has no right to interfere."_**

* * *

**There was a time when I loved my sister, loved my clan. But that was before I met Minato, before everything changed on the night of the Kyuubi attack. It was before Naruto's birth.**

**Then love turned to hate.**

**Ah, Naruto, the only one in my life that I could not face before my death, for I abandoned him for my own selfish ends. Naruto, if given the chance, would you let me hold you once more? And whisper in your ears "I am sorry" one more time? And protect you as I did before?**

**Even in death I could not rest. I failed, failed Minato, my friend who was like a brother to me. I failed Kushina, who entrusted me with her most precious possession.**

**I could not rest. I could not forgive myself.**

**I'll choose the path that hardly anyone before me did.**

**I shall go to Oblivion.**

**Vanish forever...**

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I was born under the crescent moon, a child blessed by the heavens, my mother had said.

My father, Uchiha Kei, was a sphinx. I think I was the least favourable of his children. My mother, Uchiha Kumiko, was from another clan. I don't remember what she looked like. My brother, who was the eldest among us children, had been considered to be quite promising. Koushaku was my father's heir.

Was.

Mikoto, my older sister, was the one who told me about the story of my birth.

"It was a strange day for me," she would begin. "I was then five, nii-san was ten. Our entire family waited for your arrival nervously."

"Why?" I asked. I was then five.

"Because, little sister, our mother had been ill for some time. The doctor feared for her health. He told us that mother might not survive your birth."

Mikoto wrung out the clothes she was washing. "Mother loved you before you were even born. She feels that you were special. I could see why as soon as you came."

"Why?" I asked my favourite question.

"Your eyes were open. Normally, babies are born with their eyes closed, but yours were open, aware as an adult. Furthermore, you did not cry as a newborn should."

"Is that bad?" I was anxious. I did not wish to be different.

"No," my sister smiled faintly. But I know that she is lying.

It had always been bad in our clan for someone to be different from others. However, then I was only interested in the story.

"And then?" I urged my sister.

"Since you were very quiet, mother was able to hide you for the first twenty-four hours, until they could no longer seal away your Sharingan."

"But why?"

She sighed. "It is…very complicated. You will understand when you are older." She hung the clothes on a line.

I looked at her expectantly. She sighed, and explained. What her exact words were I could not remember. It was years later when I finally understood her words.

"How do they do it?" I was persistent. Even though my question was very vague, Mikoto understood. She bent down and pulled down her collar, revealing the back of her neck.

I gasped. A large black seal, bigger than my hand, spreaded like a stain over my sister's ivory skin. I did not know how to describe it, except that it was complicated. I ran my fingers over the seal. It was carved onto the skin!! I flinched and pulled my hand back. I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling nothing.

Mikoto watched me with a bemused expression. "You are lucky, you know. Father will be sending you to the academy soon." She sighed again.

"I have always wanted to be a shinobi, but..." Mikoto shrugged as she adjusted her collar.

Speaking of my father, I froze. As a child of five, I was terribly afraid of him. He never smiled. I suppose I ought to be grateful. Children of our clan are usually home-schooled before sending off to attend Academy graduation exams. I would be one of the few Uchiha to go to the Academy.

"Don't you want your present?"

"Huh?"

Mikoto handed me a package.

I ran up stairs to my room, nearly tripping over. Though it is said that all Uchihas are graceful, I am quite clumsy sometimes. Reaching my desk, I ripped off the wrapping paper.

Framed by silver leaves cleverly intertwined, my mother's onyx eyes stared at me. It is picture of her when she was eighteen, before she married my father. In the background, faint outlines of mountains shrouded by wisps of silver clouds illuminates her silver hair. I narrowed my eyes. The mountains are covered with something fluffy and white, like cotton. I traced my fingers over her flawless complexion. Her silver hair gleamed. They say her clan was born of the wolves, a clan from the Country of Water. It was whispered that some members of the clan could see the future. Even so, they were not shinobi. They prefered the wandering way of life.

However, it was not my mother's hair that captured my attention, it was her eyes, which were so much like my own. I lied down on my bed and closed my eyes.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not understand why a girl possessing the Sharingan could possibly harm my clan.

"It makes no sense." I said out loud.

I got up from my bed and walked to my window. Underneath lies a black chest made at the time of my birth. I placed the picture frame on the black velvet. The only other item in the chest is a kunai from my brother. It is an ordinary kunai, but Koushaku nii-san took the time to carve my name onto it.

Even as I grew, I could not understand whether my chance of awakening the Sharingan a gift or a curse.

* * *

**The wind sighed, whistling through the worn wood of the chest and squeezing itself between the cracks.**

* * *

With my sister only five years older than me and my mother dead, I took care of myself most of the time. No one bothered showing me how a girl was supposed to act, or look.

I remember how I teased Masaki, a boy two years older than me, until he cried.

Once I dumped mud over him. Another time I snuck up on him from behind, yelled, and made him fall into the river. He came out tangled with weeds, and my uncles thought he was a spy from another village. Muahaha. I am evil.

Of course, in the end we both got in trouble with our fathers. Oh yes, Masaki is my cousin. He has an older brother, whose name is Fugaku. I like neither of them. Driftwoods, I call them. Really, those two show no emotions whatsoever.

As the only girl who runs around wild on my family's grounds, I don't have a lot of friends. Although I adore my brother and sister, Koushaku is now fifteen, a chunin and busy with his missions. Mikoto is often busy as well, though for a very different reason. My father could not be bothered with me. Perhaps I was doomed to be a loner.

It was accidental how I found out that I was different from everyone else.

* * *

The day started out in the usual way.

"Nii-saaaan..." the girl begged. "Play with me."

Mikazuki's older brother looked up from adjusting his kunai pouch. He patted her on the head. "I am sorry, Zuki," he smiled apologetically. "I - "

"I know I know!" she interrupted. "You have missions today. Well good luck."

_Well, good luck so you can come back soon and play with me._

Sighing, she headed out to the river and watched the fish leap by, stirring up sprays of water that glittered in the sunlight.

Mikazuki was sitting by the riverbank, being bored, when Masaki and his friends took her by surprise.

"Hey!" One of them started, the standard Uchiha smirk on his face. "My father told me that you never got your Sharingan sealed away. That makes you a witch, you hear that? A witch!!" he laughed.

Before she had even understood the insult, another said: "Girls should stay out of shinobi business. I heard that your mother was burned alive. I bet you don't know that."

Her temper flared. She whirled on him. "Why you - " she began, but was caught off guard by someone behind her.

He pulled back her collar and and ogled at the fact that there was no seal. She tried to pull his hands away, but two others twisted her arms back.

She was unable to move.

_We had all played together in the past few years,_ she thought, more puzzled than scared_. So why?_

Masaki was standing off to the side, not looking at her. He walked away.

His friends took that as a signal. Mikazuki noticed the abrupt change in their mood. She yanked her hands free and ran.

"Get her!"

She touched the kunai Koushaku gave her a few days ago, hidden in her sleeve.

The one on her right rushed toward her first.

She dodged, swung her arm around, yanking out the kunai from her sleeve and sunk it into his shoulder. The kunai was not very sharp, yet it still managed to break the skin. A trickle of blood appeared.

_My first stab, at the age of 6. One ought to be proud,_ She thought faintly, irked by the smell.

Then she tripped.

Again.

She knew that they had expected her to cry, so she did the opposite.

She grinned.

The next thing she knew, her brother was in front of her, shooing the boys away as if they were chickens.

"You little _idiot_," she remembered him growling as he carried her on his back back home. "What am I going to do with you? I thought I told you not to get into fights!"

She pretended to be asleep. Her brother sighed.

* * *

**Ever since that day, I have realized that I could never fit in. My clan does not see me as one of them. I am a burden, a liability to their survival. They were probaly right.**

**After all, I took in the child they called a demon.**

* * *

**Author:** I know these two chapters are short. Please bear with me. I also understand how awkward these chapters are, but I wish to establish some background before moving on to more action. (grin) I can't wait. I would also like some suggestions. Should I continue to write in first person, with some in third person, or all in third person?

Please review.

**Next Chapter:** Aquamarine - Namikaze Minato


	3. Aquamarine: Namikaze Minato

Thank you, dear reviewers. You give me motivation. XD

Love Psycho - Thank you for the cookies.

Dakara Zhang - I have taken into account your suggestions. I will probaly revise chapter 2 after finishing this story. Thank you.

**A/N: I would like to clarify somethings.**

1. Mikazuki will not the main focus of the story. She is merely a line that ties the other characters together:a storyteller. The main focus will be on Minato's relationships with different people and different countries. Hopefully. XD  
2. Some ages might be altered to fit the story.  
3. I hate Mary Sues too! I tried hard not to make Mikazuki into one. This is my first fanfic. Please forgive me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. I _half-own_ Mikazuki, for Kishimoto-san own the other half. Don't sue me please, I am broke.

**Bold section means it happened in the present. The rest all happened in the past.**

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_Chapter 2 - Aquamarine: Namikaze Minato_

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**The spirit looks at the figure by the memorial stone. Its hand, meaning to touch Hoshibiki's shoulder, went right through him. Sighing, it withdraws its hand, turns, and vanishes.**

* * *

**I was a traitor. I broke my promise to a dead friend and turned my back on a living one. My eyes misted as I walked, unaware of where I am going, as I remembered the day I met him…..Namikaze Minato.**

* * *

_Eighteen years earlier..._

The atmosphere in the class was heavy. Very heavy. You could almost hear the hard pounding of hearts in almost everyone's chests. The day was probably the worst day the Academy kids could have. The Day of the Execution, they called it. This was the day they receive their first report cards, which would determine whether they would be skinned alive by their parents. The students were terrified.

Well, most of them.

A boy with black hair tied into a ponytail drooled on his desk, buried in his dreams of fluffy white clouds…… "Troublesome," he mumbled.

His friend, who was sitting beside him, munched on chips.

Everyone else had their eyes glued on the teacher as he started to hand out sheaves of paper.

Uchiha Mikazuki clutched the edge of her table so hard that her knuckles turned white. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and sat still as a statue. She heard the teacher walk past her twice, before sensing a light flap of paper crackled and land in front of her. She opened her eyes.

The report was folded neatly in half, creases pressed carefully together. Written across the top was the comment: "_I am pleased with Mikazuki-san's efforts this term, though I am pretty sure that she could do better in some areas. She is, after all, a member of the renowned Uchiha clan. – Kishiro sensei_"

She narrowed her eyes. _What does being an Uchiha have anything to do with my grades?! _

Well, school was not exactly easy for her, she admits. When she had first started at the Academy, she was treated like some sort of rare object, being the first Uchiha to enter the school. However, soon, her teacher and her classmates had a crude awakening. She was not a prodigy. Her taijutsu was average. Yet, nor was she dead last, though her total mark always came behind a pair of Hyuuga brothers, three years her senior. They would be graduating by the end of June.

She knows that her mark had been further affected by the fact that she hasn't been concentrating lately. Her brother, eighteen now, had left his pregnant wife behind and went on a two-month B-rank mission, and he should be coming home today. Exciting. Maybe he would help her with her footwork in Taijutsu. However, she had been having a strange feeling all week, like something was amiss. she hoped that the mission was successful.

Shaking her head, she scolded herself. Of course the mission would be fine. Her brother was the best in her eyes.

She frowned. No matter how fond Koushaku might be of being a father, she knew that he was not happy with the arranged marriage. In her clan, marriages are based on the clan's future, not individual happiness.

Mikazuki, looked down, sighed, and was about to open the report when it suddenly got snatched out of her hands. Startled, she looked up.

Yamanaka Inoichi was reading her report card. That alone was infuriating. Besides, there was the beginning of a snicker on his lips. A vein on her temple was starting to stick out.

"Give that back," Mikazuki said flatly. Inoichi ignored her and went on reading. Mikazuki growled slightly and looked out the window. Now she knew why Shikaku likes looking at clouds so much. They distract you from trying to kill a certain blonde…

Five minutes later…she turned to him, and found him still reading. Grumbling, she turned back to the window and watched a fluffy rabbit morph into a cat.

Ten minutes later…the cat morphed back to the rabbit and was chasing a mouse.

And then…..something unexpected happened.

Inoichi fell over, bringing her desk and the one beside it down with him.

Backwards.

Tears streamed down his face as he laughed hard.

Somewhere near him, someone's vein popped.

Mikazuki stormed over and snatched the paper out of his hands. Ignoring his yelp as the paper sliced his fingers, she went back to her seat and smoothed out the crumpled paper. In bold were outlines of course descriptions, while Kishiro-sensei added his comments in brackets.

_**The following skills had been graded by the best teacher your child could have: Ikito Kishiro**_

_**Student:**__ Uchiha Mikazuki_

_**Observational Skills:**__ 100_

_(Too observant, I might add. Watch your back when she is around you)_

_**Target Accuracy:**__ 98 _

_(Need more practice with kunai throwing, probably due to her lack of strength in the wrists. Shuriken accuracy is excellent. )_

_**Chakra Control:**__ 88 _

_(We haven't yet done many exercises associated with this topic. __Do not__ panic in an oh-my-god-my-daughter-who-is-an-Uchiha-got-below-ninety manner. __Yet__. There is worse to come.)_

_**Basic Taijutsu:**__ 78 _

_(Quite surprising actually, considering that she is an Uchiha. Mikzuki-san often trips over invisible objects. Sadly, I haven't yet found the reason.)_

_**Social**__**Skills (based on the time spent with other students AFTER school and not the number of friends she has): 0 **_

_(Seriously, Mikazuki-san never stays behind after school to interact with other students. I fear that she might not know how to get along with her future genin team. Please inform me if this is some sort of clan rule that your children be returned home immediately after school. Otherwise, START PANICKING.)_

_Sincerely, the great Ikito Kishiro._

Mikazuki felt her right eye twitching. Yes, her teacher was definitely insane.

* * *

_In a small house near the edge of the village..._

The old man smiled tiredly. Years of hard labour lined his face, and his blonde hair had faded to white. Yet he did not care. Finally, he had saved enough money to give his grandson what he had wanted for the past three years. The child's wish to go to the academy could finally be granted.

The old man sat back in his chair and looked at the picture on the mantel piece. The face of a blonde man with intense green eyes stared back.

"My son," the old man whispered. "If only you could see him now. Everyday he grows more and more like you, but for the eyes. He is such a nice child. Stubborn, but quite determined. He never demanded anything from me, even when I told him that I could not afford to send him to the Academy."

The old man paused. A bird chirped outside his window.

"You may call me selfish," he continued, "but I did not want to send him to a life of pain and sacrifice. The life of a shinobi is not easy, as many die before their time, such as you."

He was staring at the picture in silence when the door burst open.

"Ojiisan!" An excited voice called, "I am ready! Let's go now!"

"Whoa there!" The man smiled as a blur of yellow rushed in. "Have you forgotten that today is Friday? School would be over soon. Why don't we go early on Monday?"

"Awww…." The eight-year-old complained. "But I set myself on going today! Even if nobody was there, I want to explore."

"But--" the man began, but gave up as Minato gave him puppy eyes. The old man could almost _see_ a wagging tail.

"Fine," he sighed, then smiled as the child started to prance around. "I'll go pick up some groceries, and you go explore, okay?"

"Hai!"

"But first go upstairs and clean your room!"

"Whaaa??"

A raincloud gathered over the child's head.

A sad smile grew on the old man's face as he watched his grandson mumble and move away.

"I hope I won't regret this," he whispered.

Outside, the bird took flight into the blue, blue sky.

* * *

_Outside the Academy, after school..._

"Heh, I still don't believe that I beat the great _Uchiha-san_ in taijutsu!" Inoichi snickered as he walked alongside Mikazuki, with Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chouza following behind. Shikaku had his arms behind his neck, stifling a yawn as Chouza munched on another bag of chips, this time barbecue-flavoured.

"Furthermore, an Uchiha managed to get a '0'!" Inoichi said with mirth in his voice. "So, how do you think you parents will take it? Burn you alive?"

Mikzuki stopped suddenly at the word 'burn', almost making Shikaku and Chouza walk into her. She stood there for a moment, eyes closed and hands clenched tight. After a few deep breaths, she unclenched her fists and walked on without looking back.

"Oh shush, will ya?" She retorted. Annoyed, Mikazuki dumped all her books out of her bag, rearranging some of the textbooks so the corners would not dig into her ribs.

"No."

"…"

Disappointed that he did not get a rebuke this time, Inoichi turned his attention to a pair of white-eyed brothers going in the direction of the playground and waved at them. One of them looked up, smiled, and waved back. The other just looked away.

"Che, looks like I am not the only one who finds you irritating," Mikazuki grinned.

"Me? Irritating?" Disbelief coloured his tone.

"And exasperating, and annoying, and infuriating, not to mention incredibly idio—"

"Uh, you do know that the words you listed are merely synonyms of irritating, right?" yawned Shikaku for the twentieth time that day.

"Whatever, they justify my point." Mikazuki shrugged.

"Geez, Zuki, why are you so serious all the time? We are only eight, for God's sake! Stop using adult language!" Inoichi complained.

"Just let it go, all Uchiha are like that." Chouza intercepted. "Let's go to the playground. The Hyuuga brothers are planning a spar. I wanna go watch."

Inoichi brightened. "Sure! Who do you think will win this time? Hizashi or Hiashi?"

Shikaku shrugged carelessly. "Whatever, I can't tell them apart anyways. They look too alike. Troublesome."

Mikazuki lifted her hands as a farewell, without looking back. However, the other three were already off running in the direction of the playground. She shook her head, and started on her way home.

* * *

Finally finishing cleaning his room, Minato rushed out the house, ignoring his grandfather's "hey wait!" He ran through a line of trees in front of his house. It was then when he realized that he doesn't know where the academy is.

_Oh well,_ he thought,_ I'll just ask someone._

Looking around, he spotted a dark-haired girl walking by, a backpack swung over her shoulder. A red and white fan was emblazed on the back of her shirt. He ran towards her. "Hey wait!"

Mikazuki turned around and saw a blonde boy with startling blue eyes.

"Err…may I help you?" _Strange, I have never seen him before, yet he is my age, _She thought.

The boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you could show me where the Academy is," he mumbled.

"Oh," _No way, this guy doesn't know where the Academy is? _

Mikazuki turned and pointed. "Go straight, and then turn right. You will be able to see the Hokage building from there. The Academy is right beside it."

"Thanks," said Minato, flashing a wide grin.

Mikazuki looked at him quizzically. Then unexpectedly, she swung a fist at him. Surprised, he flung his arms up in an "X" in defence and tiled his head to the side. The fist went right past his face, so close that he could feel it graze his ear. Startled, he looked at the girl. Mikazuki retracted her arm and looked at him disapprovingly.

"Are you sure you don't know where the Academy is?" She asked suspiciously.

Minato felt something off about the way she said that. "Uh…no. Why?"

"Your reaction was so fast that it was almost…unreal." She said slowly. "I went to the Academy for two years and I am not as fast as you. I thought that you might be lying. Your stance is actually quite good. Are you a shinobi?"

Minato felt his face redden. "No, actually. I –"

"Forget it," Mikazuki interrupted as she walked past him. "But your talent will be wasted."

Minato stared after her, perplexed. _What talent?_

* * *

Arriving home, Mikazuki went to her room and flung herself on the bed.

_This day could not possibly be any worse, _she thought._ First, my report card sucked. Second, I got annoyed to death by both Kishiro-sensei and Yamanaka Inoichi._ _Third, _She thought bitterly, _I have trained for years and what? A civilian, with no training whatsoever, managed to dodge my blow without even moving his legs._

She was still buried in her thoughts when downstairs, her sister called her.

"Hai," Mikazuki answered, and hurried down, taking two steps at a time. She found her father sitting unmoving in a chair, with Mikoto standing beside him.

"Go open the door, Zuki," Mikoto told her sister. Mikazuki looked at her weirdly before realization suddenly dawned on her face. "It is Fugaku-san's family isn't it? You are afraid of Fugaku-san aren't you?"

"NO!" Mikoto denied before she could stop herself.

"Zuki, this is no time to fool around," her father said sternly. "Fugaku's family is the leader of our clan, and possesses the purest bloodline. Us who are merely mix-bloods should not speak of them so lightly."

"Hai," Mikazuki stuck her tongue out knowingly at her sister despite her father's frown, rolled her eyes, and opened the door.

Standing there at their doorstep was the clan leader and his two sons: Fugaku and Masaki

Mikazuki looked up at the face of Uchiha Fugaku, whose face revealed nothing as he greeted her with the words: "Your brother, Uchiha Koushaku, is dead."

* * *

With the girl's directions, Minato found the place with no problem.

_I wonder why her face darkened all of the sudden,_ he thought. Then he shrugged it off.

_Meh, girl problems, none of my busines_s.

His crystal-blue eyes took in the building: red roof, yellow walls, and the Konoha symbol was above the door. A large tree with a swing hanging from a thick horizontal branch stood near the entrance. Minato grinned, liking the place already. A few more steps brought him to the tree. He placed his hands on it, testing its strength. Deciding that it iwas safe enough, he climbed it, using his hands and feet, to get a better look at what the school looks like.

He had been sitting there for a few minutes when a commotion caught his attention to his right. He narrowed his eyes to better focus on the scene. Two boys, shinobi obviously, from their stance, were sparing. They seem to be around eleven years old. Even from the distance, he could tell that their eyes were a strange colour: ghost-white. Their long hair was tied back in such a way that make them look like girls at first glance. Around them was a small crowd composed of children his age. Fascinated, he stretched as far from the tree as possible to get a better look. Even though he was excited about starting the Academy, his bubble was starting to pop. He was three years behind. How could he ever catch up?

* * *

_Uchiha territory..._

Her day did not just get worse. It ended.

_Thump thump_

Something in Mikazuki suddenly snapped. She stood, numb, as Fugaku walked past her, followed by his father and brother. Masaki smirked at her as he went by, but she was too busy recovering from that blow to notice him.

_Thump thump_

Behind her, Mikoto gasped as she clasped her hands over her mouth in shock. Her father stood stock-still, the remaining life of his eye blinked out as he registered the fact that his eldest child and only son was gone.

_Thump thump_

Mikazuki sank down to her knees. Her eyes hurt. She felt numb. The tears, the tears won't come. Her mind wandered back to her first day at the Academy.

_Lesson one,_ Kishiro-sensei had said on her first day. _A shinobi must never, never, NEVER, show his tears_. _Tears are signs of the weak, revealing to enemies that you are not strong enough to overcome your emotions. Those who cry are not considered to be true shinobi. They are mentally weak, unable to bear the burdens of Konoha. Death is a common thing among shinobi. We cannot spare the energy or the time to shed tears for every single one of us who die. We must move on. For our friends, our family, our village, you MUST kill that emotion, which would automatically lead to the downfall of our village._

_Thump thump_

"We believe it was an ambush in the Grass country," the voice of the clan leader, cold and indifferent, was a distraction from the twisting pain in her chest. Mikazuki latched on to his words, refusing to listen to the irregular beating of her heart.

"Apparently, the mission was supposedly an A-rank. The client lied about some conditions involved in this mission to save money. Their team was taken by surprise. I am considering firing a complaint to the Hokage."

Uchiha Kei nodded.

"As for his teammates, they have returned, scratched but unharmed. They mentioned something about how they would not be alive right now if Koushaku did not do what he did."

"What did he do?" Mikoto asked, her voice hardly a whisper.

"We are not quite sure," the village leader glanced at her, annoyed to be questioned by a thirteen-year-old girl. "However, we do know that it has something to do with the Sharingan, for Koushaku's body is presumed…..lost."

"_Lost!_" Fugaku shook his head in disgust. "His so-called-teammates should have at least taken his eyes before leaving the body. Then we would not have to worry about our bloodline being leaked out and all."

Mikoto stiffened. She walked up to him and stared at him in the eyes. "Do you really mean _that_?" she hissed. Mikazuki flinched, for she had never heard her sister use that tone of voice.

Fugaku looked quite taken back. "I –"

"Bastard," Mikoto's voice dripped with venom as her eyes filled with disappointment. "I was wrong about you. I thought that you actually had a heart, instead of a stone like everyone else. A member of our clan is dead. Your _cousin_ is dead, and all you care about is his _Sharingan_?"

"Mikoto," her father began, "stop this--"

The door slammed shut as Mikazuki stormed out the door.

* * *

Minato leaned back against the tree trunk and stared into the sunset sky, still mesmerized by what he had seen. The grace, the power, and the speed shown in the fight all combined to make him feel unsure about himself. His father was the first in their family to become a shinobi, and he had been average in his skills. What hope is there for his son, who was going to start three years later than everyone else? Minato closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

* * *

Mikazuki ran through the village, unaware of where she was going. She needed to get away, away from her family, away from the gloomy Uchiha houses, away from _everything. _People glanced at her before returning to what they had been doing.

Just run. That way, she would not have to think about the tightness growing across her chest.

* * *

Minato opened his eyes and found that it was almost dark.

"Uh-oh," he realized. "Ojii-san must be worried."

He was about to come down when he heard someone approaching the tree. Concealed by leaves, he peered down and was startled to find the same girl he had asked for directions sat on the swing. Her face was covered by her bangs, yet he could tell that she was not in a very good mood. Thinking that he was a wrong person turning up at a wrong time, he turned to slide down the tree. A single rustle made the girl's head snap up.

"Who is there?" the girl's eyes narrowed. She looked straight in his direction.

_Crap._

"Uh…ummm…" Minato tried to reply while at the same time looking for footholds down the tree. The darkness was making it hard to see, and night dew was starting to collect on the trunk, making it slippery.

Mikazuki saw a flash of yellow hair. "Yamanaka-kun," she growled, "this is _so_ not a good time to irritate me." She bent down and picked up a pebble.

"Actually, I am not –" Minato began when something hit the back of his head, making him see stars for a moment. Surprised, he let go of a branch with his right hand and felt the back of his head, where a lump was beginning to form.

Bad idea.

Two legs and an arm were not enough to withstand the slipperiness of the bark. Minato half slid, half fell down the tree.

Smirking, Mikazuki went around the tree after hearing a 'thump' accompanied by an 'oof'.

"You sure deserved th— eh?" Mikazuki was horrified, no, mortified to find that she had knocked the boy who had spoken to her earlier out of a tree. His ankle was bent in a strange position.

_Crap._

* * *

"Well, you are quite lucky, boy," said a nurse as she checked her clipboard. "The ankle is unbroken, just sprained." She applied green chakra to Minato's right ankle. Immediately, the swelling went down, and the redness faded. She wrapped gauze around his foot, securing it tightly. "Take it easy within the next few days, okay?"

"When do you think it will fully heal?" Minato looked down at his right foot, anxious.

The nurse flicked her brown hair out of her eyes. "Depends. Different people recuperate at different speeds. If you are lucky, by Monday you would be fine." She went over to the door. "I think you should stay here tonight. The streets of Konoha are not always safe at night, especially since the relationships with other countries are straining. It would be suspicious is people found you outside so late. I'll send someone to contact your grandfather."

"Hai," Minato answered. He thanked her.

Nodding, the nurse opened the door and raised her eyebrows at the girl waiting outside. She was looking at the ground.

"Is he okay?" she asked timidly.

"Yes, fortunately. No, if you try to break it again. Talk to him if you want. Whatever you do, just don't break his _other_ ankle." the nurse instructed, rolling her eyes as she left.

Mikazuki stood at the door uncertainly, still looking down. Minato sighed, and leaned back against the bed frame.

"Well? Are you going to come in or not?" he asked.

The girl looked up, black eyes meeting his blue ones. "I am sorr—" she began, but stopped as Minato held up a hand.

"What was done is done." He smiled, blue eyes twinkling. "It was partly my fault anyways. I should have answered your questions before trying to get down the tree, and not do both at the _same_ time."

Mikazuki stared at him, shocked that someone actually took responsibility for his part of the blame. The children she knew at Academy were not like that. They blamed each other as much as possible when things go wrong.

"May I ask you why you were up on a tree?" She asked, still feeling guilty.

"Well..hehe," Minato scratched the back of his head, pleased to feel that the lump had disappeared. "I was going to start the Academy next week, so I wanted to get a good view of what it looks like." He stopped at the girl's expression. "It is the truth!"

She shook her head as she leaned against the door frame. "I didn't mean it that way. I was just…..surprised. The normal age for entering the Academy is seven, for that is when chakra paths are fully developed."

"Chakra…what?"

"Never mind. You will learn that when you go on Monday."

An awkward silence fell.

The nurse returned, carrying a stack of papers. She looked at the girl. "Should you not be going home?"

Mikazuki smiled at her politely. "I would like to stay a bit longer, if you don't mind." _Anywhere but home tonight._

"Hmph, just don't stay too late. He needs his rest." With that, the nurse turned and walked back out.

Minato stared at her back, bewildered. Why had the nurse not offered to contact her family, like she did his? They are the same age, and she is a girl, so should not she be more worried about her? He snapped his attention back to the girl, who stood biting her lower lip as she watched the nurse's retreating back.

"She is right, I should probably go." Mikazuki said without looking at him. "I guess I'll see you on Monday then." She paused. "Be prepared. Don't die on your first day. Despite that it is a place for children, the Academy is not always a friendly place." She started for the door, but stopped at Minato's next words.

"I will be fine. I'll catch up to the rest of you, for I have made a promise to myself and my father. If I can't graduate when you do, I'll wait for another year. More if neccessary. No matter the obstacle, I won't give up." Mikazuki turned her head to the side to look at him. She smiled at the determination flashing in his eyes.

"We will see, and your name?"

"Namikaze Minato."

* * *

_End of flashback..._

**An eerie wind swirled around me. I made out the faint outline of a winding road. It is the road that will lead me to my destination.**

**_You were a liar, Minato,_ I thought bitterly as I started down on the road. _You told me that no matter the obstacle, you will never give up. But you did give up. You gave up on Naruto, on Kushina, on your joys of becoming a father, to save the village, yet the villagers gave up nothing to in return. I still believed what I had thought the first day I met you; Minato, you were too naive._**

* * *

**Please Review :)**

**Next Chapter** - Amethyst: Revelations (subject to change)

Thank you for reading.


	4. Amethyst: Revelations

Disclaimer: Naruto would belong to me when the stars shine green in a yellow sky. (aka: I wish.)

**Sections bolded happened in the present, even if they are first person, thoughts, etc.**

* * *

_Chapter 3 - Amethyst: Revelations_

* * *

**As I walked on the ghost-white road, memories from long ago begin to come back and haunt me...**

* * *

_A lone girl ran across an empty land, alone. There was nothing but vast emptiness. She had no idea where she was going, only the urgent need to get somewhere, anywhere. _

_As she kept on running, the landscape became more familiar. Before she knew it, the recognizable houses of Uchiha came into few. However, something was wrong, horribly wrong. _

_The normally busy streets were dark and empty. In the middle of the group of houses was a square, in which a funeral pyre was piled. No one else was around, but for a silver-haired woman tied onto the stake that was sticking out of piles of sticks. _

_"Mo...ther?" the girl inquired._

_The woman looked up. _

_The girl's heart lurched. This was the same face in the picture frame by her bedside, the face that comforted her in her sleep: her dead mother's face. _

_Yet as the girl studied the woman before her, she could hardly believe that these hate-filled eyes belonged to her mother. _

_"I curse this wretched clan," the woman said spitefully as her beautiful face twisted into an ugly scowl. _

_The girl took a step back._

"_Damn them! I see that their arrogance shall be their undoing, and that they shall be wiped out by one of their own kind."_

_The girl was so shocked by her mother's attitude towards her that she did not sense the people behind her. _

_"Enough, Kumiko-san," the clan leader said coldly. "We shall remove you and your wicked predictions from existence. Now."_

_The girl waited for the leader to turn his anger on her for being at a clan execution. Instead, he looked past her as if she did not exist. He waved his hand, and several of the men that had come with him ignited the sticks. The fire sizzled, greedily eating away at the person on the stake. _

_"No!" the girl launched herself at the fire, but was pulled back by some invisible force, back to that barren emptiness. "Okaa-san!"_

_Before the girl had completely lost the sight of her mother, the woman looked up. _

_And smiled. _

_It was not the heart-warming smile that a mother gives to her daughter. It was bitter, filled with pain and hatred. _

_Fire consumed the woman, turning her ivory skin to black and her silver hair to ashes. Not once did she cry out. Not once. _

_Searing pain ripped across the girl's body, the sensation of being reduced to ashes. She stared in horror at her hand as she saw her bones being exposed by ripped flesh, blackened by soot… _

Mikazuki sat up on her bed, gasping.

_What was__** that?**_ she wondered.

* * *

**That was when my fear of fire began.**

* * *

Minato looked around the Academy and at the children beginning to gather there.

_Well, might as well get it over w_ith, he decided.

He thought back to his conversation with that strange girl. _Don't die, _she had said. He looked around at the harmless-looking children. _Over-exaggeration_, he decided. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the front door.

* * *

Mikazuki walked slowly to school, clutching an orange headband. Her brother's teammate, Hatake Sakumo, had dropped it off at her house over the weekend.

"I am sorry," was all he had said.

So her brother was really gone. Never would they laugh together again, or play tricks on Mikoto, or a million other things…

Mikazuki shook her head. The most pressing problem right now is to figure out why she had that strange dream. According to Mikoto, her mother died of an illness, so why did her dream involve a clan execution? Her thoughts were interrupted by a group of students crowding around the same tree that she had knocked Minato out of.

_Okay, bad memories. _

"What do you think you, a civilian, are doing here?" A boy with very long, blonde hair sneered.

_So, a civilian managed to wander into shinobi territory? _Mikazuki mused. _This should be interesting…wait, civilian?! Don't tell me…THAT IDOIT ALREADY GOT HIMSELF INTO TROUBLE?!_

She pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring the cries of "hey!"

Sure enough, Namikaze Minato stood at the center, looking unfazed with his hands stuck in his pockets. His blue eyes flickered calmly to her face and then back to Inoichi.

"My name is Namikaze Minato," he said in a steady voice. Inwardly, however, he was panicking. _This. Really. Sucks._

"I am starting the Academy today."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

"Ha," scoffed another boy, an Inuzuka. "Stop joking around. No one starts training this late. _No one_. Go home, civilian, and stay out of shinobi business."

Voices of agreement rose from the crowd.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Minato said, blue eyes hard. "Your teacher is already expecting me."

Mikazuki had to admit, Minato was handling the situation better than she had thought. Mentally, she made a note. First day of school and he is already getting himself killed….**must work on his common sense.**

A girl spoke up. "Which clan is the Namikaze? I have never heard of them." She was wearing sunglasses despite the cool weather.

"It is not a clan," replied Minato softly, "the only ones left are my grandfather and I."

Most of the children scoffed.

Inoichi snickered at him. "Oh? Your grandfather must also be a freakin' shinobi wannabe like you, then."

In a flash, Minato was in front of him, grabbing his collar so they were face to face. Mikazuki raised her eyebrows at his speed.

Minato looked at his captive, blue eyes ice-cold.

"I don't care if you insult me," he hissed. "But don't you dare dishonour my grandfather." Blue ice turned to blue daggers. "If I ever catch you doing that again, I don't care if you are stronger than me or that I am a civilian, I _will_ beat you to a pulp and break every bone in your body."

Mikazuki had to give him credit. One civilian against twenty trainee shinobi and he had knocked a sense of fear into almost all of them.

_I guess this is where I interfere before he **really** gets himself killed._ Mikazuki sighed. No matter how talented Minato may be, seeing him being beaten up would leave a bad aftertaste. Her hopes for an uneventful week were shattered.

She went over, pulled the two apart and dragged Minato away by the front of his shirt.

She meant to exit in a dramatic manner, but luck just wasn't on her side.

She tripped.

For some reason, her right foot just suddenly gave out on her. Gasping as pain shot from her ankle, she dropped all her books. She took off her sandal and examined said ankle. No swelling, no redness, yet for some reason she has been falling a lot more frequently, and painfully.

Minato tried to help her, yet she brushed him off, picked up her books, and stomped through the entrance.

_She is mad._ Minato thought. _Well, duh. First day of school and I already attracted so much antagonism...super._

As soon as they arrived inside, she whirled to face him. "What do you think you were doing out there? I thought I told you not to get yourself killed by attracting too much attention."

Minato crossed his arms. "I never asked you to help me. It is none of your business," he replied defensively. _Bastard, not like you are my mom, so bossy. _he thought.

"Well, fine! I don't care what happens to you anyways," she retorted angrily. _Ungrateful little-_

"Fine!" he replied.

They stalked off in opposite directions, until Mikazuki stopped and said huffily, "the classroom is_ this_ way. Minato-_kun_."

* * *

Mikazuki watched Minato after school as he struggled with target practice. They haven't spoken to each other for a month now. She had been watched his progress closely for the past few weeks.

Kishiro-sensei took the news of having a last-minute student soberly. When it became clear that Minato was not associated with any of the noble clans of Konoha, the teacher immediately dismissed his interest in Minato's progress.

The boy, she decided reluctantly, was talented. He grasped the concepts of chakra and strategy quite quickly and there was his uncanny speed to aid him in hand-to-hand combat. To tell the truth, she was jealous. Often, she laughed at herself whenever she had that thought. Her, the daughter of the most elite clan in Konoha, was jealous of a boy that was dead-last and from an ordinary family?!

_Something is wrong with me, _she thought.

If he had started the Academy sooner, he would have been near the top of class by now. The problem was the shortage of time. Yes, the memorization part of the Academy curriculum could be done quickly, yet other things, such as taijutsu, accuracy, and chakra control take much time and patience.

Minato, with sweat dotting his forehead, flung another shuriken at the target. It shot wide of range.

_Damn, _he cursed.

He sat down in defeat. He had wanted to graduate at the same age as everyone else, yet that seemed like a hopeless dream right now.

"Giving up already?" said a voice behind him. "I thought that you had a promise to keep?"

Minato looked up, his hair hang matted around his face. He watched impassively as Mikazuki pulled the shuriken out of the tree stumps.

"Easy for you to say," he growled. _You are not the last in class in almost everything._

She collected the stray shuriken and sat down beside him.

An awkward silence ensued.

"Look," she said finally, "I am sorry for what I said that day. I just felt guilty about the tree incident, so I wanted to make it up to you somehow, by preventing you from getting hurt in school." She looked up at the sky.

"And I threw away your help." He mumbled, dragging a kunai through the dirt. "I am sorry too, for being an idiot."

Mikazuki gave him a you-just-realized?-look.

She reached over and took one of his shuriken.

"I have been watching you," she said, holding the shuriken at an angle to her wrist. "The angle from which you throw this is wrong."

She extended her arm.

"You also don't need to fling your arm so hard. Most of the power comes from the wrist. The arm is just to aid in the smoothness of its motion through air." She threw the shuriken at the stump.

_Bull's-eye._

She held a shuriken to him. "Hold it," she commanded.

Minato obeyed silently.

She adjusted the position of his fingers and tilted his arm. "Now throw it, but keep the movement of the arm small."

The shuriken landed close to the center.

"Nice," she commented, and picked up another. "Now do it again, but flick your wrist more. No, don't stand like a stone; bend your knees a little."

* * *

One hour later, Minato was able to hit the bull's-eye eight times out of ten.

"Thanks," Minato said at the end of their session.

Mikazuki shrugged.

They watched the sky turn lavender purple.

* * *

Throughout the next two years, they were able to mutually help each other. One person's strength compensated for the weakness of the other.

Whereas Mikazuki helped Minato with accuracy and chakra control, he helped her with taijutsu and speed. They make an odd pair, one serious and the other charismatic. However, they were both comfortable in each other's company.

Mikazuki watched, pleased, as Minato advanced from last in class to average.

One day, after sparring, they sat down to watch the sunset. It had become a routine.

"Do you have a goal, Zuki?" Minato asked suddenly.

Mikazuki looked at him. She was just getting used to being called that by Minato.

She shrugged.

"Maybe…" she started. "Perhaps to reform my clan from what it is right now."

"Why?"

Mikazuki placed her hands behind her head and lied back on the grass. "They are all so remote…and aloof, as if there is nothing else in life besides the power offered by the Sharingan."

"Sharin..gan?"

"It is a bloodline limit." She grinned. "I'll show you what it looks like once I activate it."

Minato pouted. "I am jealous, Zuki-chan," his eyes looked at the ground. "It must be nice to belong to a clan, and have so many relatives, along with a unique heritage."

"Jealous?" Mikazuki laughed weakly. "I should be the one jealous. You don't know how constricted clan life is, Minato. I really envy your freedom. Sometimes I wonder what my purpose in life is, and whether I will ever find a place to truly belong,"

"But you have a sister, a father, and many cousins," Minato objected. "Don't you want to become strong so that you can protect them?"

Mikazuki flicked her bangs out of her eyes. "Honestly speaking, I don't really care about any of them, except for perhaps my sister. You should have seen their reactions to my brother's death. They didn't care about anything besides his Sharingan."

"Maybe you should look at it from a different perspective." Minato said quietly.

Mikazuki looked at him, puzzled.

"At least you will have many people worrying about you when you die, even if it is just your eyes. All I have left in the world is my grandfather, and he is going to leave me soon." He paused, looking down sadly. "You are like a sister to me, Zuki. Promise me that you won't leave me as well."

Awkwardly, Mikazuki gave him an one-armed hug.

"I promise you, Minato, if I ever die, it will be after you."

* * *

**And I kept that promise.**

* * *

"But Sarutobi-sensei, whyyyy??" A certain white-haired shinobi whined.

The third Hokage sighed. He spoke very slowly, as if talking to a child.

"Because, Jiraiya, our relationships with other countries are strained now. We desperately need new recruitments for our army in case war breaks out. Therefore, any capable jounin must take on a genin team."

He walked over to the stack of papers. "From what I have seen, the graduating class this year will be quite promising."

"But they are still _brats_! Why can' you get Tsunade or Orochimaru to do it, why me? Besides, I have already taught three students in Amegakure."

The Sandaime took his pipe out of his mouth. "Tsunade is needed at the hospital. Orochimaru…well…I am considering sending him to S-rank missions to see if he is capable of being the next Hokage."

Jiraiya blinked.

"Orochimaru…as the Yondaime?"

* * *

**A/N**: I hope that was ok. I don't swear in real life, so I have trouble writing insulting phrases in the story...(Sigh) exams exams exams. Please cheer me up by reviewing. I am seriously having a mental breakdown over all the Chemistry stuff we have to memorize…..

We are now starting to go into the action part of the story. XD Genin teams and Chunin exams!!

Oh, and I have written an accompanying one-shot for this story, from Kakashi's point of view. It contains some spoilers for this one though. The title is Silver Feather.

**Next time **– (……haven't thought of title yet…..something to do with being split into teams…and….oh! The bell test. It is not just a replica of the anime, I promise.)


	5. Cat's Eye: Genin

**TigrisRiver:** Thank you. I was beginning to feel really unsure about whether to continue this story or not.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto does not belong to me.

**Bolded sentences mean it happened in the present, from Mikazuki's P.O.V. The rest are all in the past.**

* * *

_Chapter 4 – Cat's Eye: Genin_

* * *

Jiraiya walked down the busy streets of Konoha, grumbling to himself.

"I _swear,_ sensei enjoys tormenting me!!"

A blonde kunoichi rolled her eyes at her teammate's complaints. The weather was unusually warm for spring. They had just ccome out of the Hokage building after picking up some documents.

"Don't give me that look Tsunade!! I am serious!! Why do I have to baby-sit three brats when the weather is so nice that I could do research instead?!"

Tsunade frowned deeply at him.

Jiraiya stopped suddenly, realizing the mistake he had made. "Uh…I mean…train!! Yeah…train," he said sheepishly, looking sideways at his female companion.

"_Please _don't contaminate your students' innocent minds with your dirty thoughts," she told him disapprovingly, hands on her hips. "Control your impulses will you? At least around them? I don' t want to deal with more cries of **'help us! Tsunade-san!'** only to find you _and_ your three students at the bath house."

She shuddered.

Jiraiya grinned from ear to ear as he pulled out sheets of paper from the envelope he was holding.

"Sarutobi-sensei already assigned me my students," he gave her the papers. "Sadly, none of them seems to have the potential to become a pervert."

He winced as Tsunade hit him over the head.

"That is good!! Maybe they will be teaching you instead of the other way around!" She retorted as she looked through the profiles.

The first was a brown-haired boy. His skin was quite tan.

"Kaguya Hoshibiki," she read aloud. She looked at the man beside her. "Kaguya? Isn't that name from the Water Country?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah. Apparently the kid's family moved here a few months ago."

Tsunade glanced over the rest of that piece of paper. "And it seems that he is near the top of his class. Hmm…I sense Superiority Complex Syndrome…" she teased. "Remember Orochimaru?"

"Oh Kami," Jiraiya moaned as he placed a hand on his forehead. "Don't remind me. He used to love tormenting me about how weak I am compared to him."

Tsunade smiled to herself as she looked at the next page. She raised her eyebrows. "Uchiha Mikazuki?"

The paper got snatched out of her hand.

"What?!" Jiraiya quickly scanned over the sheet. "A member of Konoha's most elite clan, graduating from the Academy?!" Then his eyes glinted. "And she is a girl!! Hehehe…"

Ignoring him, Tsunade took back the piece of paper. "I thought the Uchiha are all home-schooled since the Academy is **'below them'**."She illustrated quotation marks with her hands to emphasize what she had said.

"That is what I thought too," Jiraiya agreed, eyebrows lowered in thought. "And when they pass the graduation exam, they enter the Military Police before heading directly for jounin exams." He looked up at the sky dreamily. "This would be the first time I see a female kunoichi from that clan."

Tsunade shrugged as she pulled out the next sheet of paper. She looked sideways and saw that perverted expression again.

"Do anything…._improper_…"she threatened. "And I will make sure that you won't be able to get out of the hospital for two months,"

Jiraiya cringed. If there was one thing he afraid of besides Orochimaru's disgustingly long tongue, it was Tsunade's fist. He still remembers the day when they first met as a team...

His train of thought was interrupted by Tsunade's gasp of surprise. He tiled his head to look at the paper.

A boy with golden-blonde hair stared at them.

"Namikaze Minato, civilian-born, enters Academy at age eight, and graduates at ten? Is that even possible?" Jiraiya stared, dumfounded.

Tsunade sighed. "Please, not like everyone is as stupid as you. The stuff they teach at the Academy could be compressed into one year if the student is willing to learn. Sensei made a rule to hold the graduation age back so they could be more mentally prepared for the life of a shinobi. Don't you remember? We graduated at six."

Jiraiya shook his head. "He looks like an idiot to me. All the blondes that I have met so far are idiots."

Silence

Twitch.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Everyone within a mile radius winced.

* * *

Jiraiya looked at his new students with his arms crossed. His right cheek was still swollen from yesterday. The Kaguya boy looked at him unsmilingly, as did the Uchiha girl. The blonde boy, however, grinned at him brightly.

"So, you are our sensei?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes," he nodded as he pushed his wet hair out of his face. _Idiot, what does it look like? And how did they succeed with dumping this on me?_

* * *

_Flashback…._

He had been in a quite good mood, walking through familiar corridors of the Academy. Along the way, he saw some of his fellow jounin.

"Yo," he greeted them. "Picking up your students as well??"

They nodded.

One of them stepped forward and patted Jiraiya on the back.

"I feel sorry for you," he said. The others nodded in agreement. "Your students will be quite a handful." He glanced at the girl he was holding by the hand. "They somehow managed to make her cry."

"They…what?" Jiraiya stammered. He looked at the tear-streaked girl, who gazed up at him with big, oh-so-innocent eyes, and his heart melted.

Reaching down, he patted the little girl on the head. "I'll scold them for this, don't you worry." The girl smiled at him, her eyes already dry.

He walked in through the door.

The first thing he noticed was the bucketful of water falling on him from the top of the doorframe.

The second thing he noticed was the voice of a girl, who said: "Emi, I thought I _told_ you to stop bothering-" She broke off in a gasp.

Silence.

"Crap, is that our sensei?"

_End of Flashback…_

* * *

**I smile at the memory. How can a ghost like me still manage to smile, I do not know. Somehow, I did. I look into the distance. How long is this road? Sighing, I continue my journey as I sink back into my memories…**

* * *

The three students were becoming uncomfortable with their sensei's unblinking gaze. Minato chuckled nervously, while Mikazuki and Hoshibiki found the ground more interesting than their teacher's face.

Jiraiya was amused at his students' discomfort. _I never knew being a teacher gives me so much power…._

"Let us start with introductions," he began and noticed how they relaxed at his tone of voice, which sounded neither mad nor annoyed. "Tell us your name, what you like, dislike, goals, and so forth." He waited.

The blonde boy spoke up. "Could you give us an example, sensei?"

"Oh?" Jiraiya was definitely amused. "Ok, I will go first then." He took a deep breath, and started.

"I AM ONE OF THE LEGENDARY SANNIN," he said loudly, balancing on one foot and holding out one of his arms in front of him. "I AM THE TOAD SAGE: JiRAIYA-SAMA!!"

He was met with silence.

Then. _Clap clap clap._

The blonde boy clapped, while the other two looked at him in a mixture of disbelief and surprise. The question _Are you really a jounin?_ was written all over their faces.

"Legendary?" the blonde boy repeated with his eyes wide. "That means you are really powerful, right?"

Jiraiya smiled. He was really beginning to like this kid. "Why yes, I-" He was interrupted by the black-haired girl.

"You never told us your likes and dislikes, goals and dreams, _sensei_," she pronounced the word "sensei" as if it was cursed. Obviously, the idea of having an apparently crazy teacher didn't appeal to her.

Inwardly cursing, Jaraiya thought, _damn, I thought that they would miss that!_

Well, apparently, they _didn't_, so he would have to think up of some sort of excuse.

"Hmm…let's see….my likes…" he started, buying time and feigning thought by placing a finger on his temple.

_Can't tell them 'women',_ he thought._ The girl will probably freak out on me. Can't tell them 'sake', they are obviously underage. Arghh…gambling? No wait…that is underage too…Don't I enjoy any normal, innocent, suitable-for-children stuff??_

He looked up, and saw his students waiting expectantly. The girl had a slight smirk on her face.

_I bet she did that on purpose!! Man, I really hate that Uchiha smirk…_

"My likes…I like to do research, and writing novels," Jiraiya said nervously.

"Then why are you twitching, sensei?" The girl's eyes seem to bore holes through his defence。

_Damn, she is observant._

Jiraiya ignored her comment as he looked back at her. "How about you go next then?"

The girl's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but she did as she was told. "My name is Uchiha Mikazuki. I like…" she paused, and rolled her eyes as both Jiraiya and Minato leaned forward.

"I like nice people and dislike not nice people."

Jiraiya fell over.

Minato chuckled. _Should have seen that one coming…_.he thought.

"As for my dreams…I haven't really thought about that…." she finished.

_So we only found out her name…._Jiraiya twitched. He turned to the brown-haired boy. "How about you?"

The boy turned in his direction. The shape of his eyes were so queer that other people could not tell what colour they are. "My name is Kaguya Hoshibiki," he introduced himself. "I was born in the Water Country. I like flowers and dislike mud. My dream is to one day be jounin."

_A __**very**__ amibitious goal…_Jiraiya rolled his eyes at his own sarcasm. His other two students were staring at Hoshibiki.

"You like…" began Minato.

"…flowers?!" finished Mikazuki.

Hoshibiki turned towards them, squinting. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Oh no…" Seeing Mikazuki was about to speak, Minato jumped in.

He gave her a pointed look.

Mikazuki looked at him, shook her head, and turned her attention back to their teacher.

Jiraiya sighed again. _Now I know what Sarutobi-sensei had to go through…_.he thought. _Although I am pretty sure that Orochimaru and I were much worse…_

He looked at the last member of his team. "You next," he said.

Minato readjusted his forehead protector. "My name is Namikaze Minato. I like to eat, sleep, train...there really isn't anything I don't like...yet," he paused. "As for my dreams, is to prove that shinobi without bloodline limits or special clan techniques could still be as strong as those with them."

Jiraiya nodded.

"Well," he looked at them. "Tomorrow I will be giving you a final exam that tests your individual skills, since the graduation exam this year was only written."

His students groaned loudly.

"_If_ you pass this, you will become official genins. If not," a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. "You will be sent back to the Academy," he finished, pleased with himself. "And I am warning you, it will be very, very, VERY hard."

_Yes! Fail them and so I can go back to my research…_

However, his students looked unfazed.

The three of them thought the exact same thing: _How hard can it be?_

* * *

The next day, when dawn barely broke through, the three of them got up early to meet their teacher at the memorial stone.

* * *

Minato pulled on a white and black shirt, tied back his messy bangs with his forehead protector, and rushed out the door.

"By ojii-san!" he waved to his grandfather.

The old man watched him with a smile on his face.

"He has really grown up," he said to himself.

Then something struck him.

"Minato! Wait!! You forgot to eat breakfast!!"

* * *

Mikazuki looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Her hair needed to be cut again. She glanced at the clock: 4:00 a.m. They were supposed to meet at 4:30. Opening her bed-side drawer, she took out her brother's headband. She undid her forehead protector and tied the orange headband in its place. Pinning her hair up, she readjusted the forehead protector around her neck. She bended down and looked at the picture of her brother.

"See you later, nii-san."

* * *

Hoshibiki sighed as he leaned back against the memorial stone. _They are late_, he thought dully. He ran his hand over the metal plate on the forehead protector, tied around his right leg. Bored, he turned around and traced his fingers over the carved names on the memorial stone, trying to imagine how they had sacrificed themselves for Konoha.

He had been standing there for half an hour when he sensed the presence of two other people.

"Hey," Minato greeted him.

Hoshibiki nodded. "You are late," he replied.

Mikazuki and Minato blinked at him.

"Late?" asked Mikazuki, "didn't sensei said to meet here at four-thirty?"

Minato nodded.

"You arrived later than me," Hoshibiki shrugged, "so I consider you to be late."

Minato saw Mikazuki's hands clench.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. _Calm down, _he thought, hoping that she will get the message.

Fortunately, their sensei arrived then by "poofing", complete with lots of smoke. His students coughed.

"Yo!" he greeted them.

"About time," mumbled Hoshibiki. Jiraiya looked at him. _Oooo…moody kid_, he thought.

"Should I say 'good morning' or 'good night'?" Jiraiya asked cheerfully, oblivious to his students' apparent annoyance.

"Just get on with it please, _sensei_."

Jiraiya sighed. "Patience, patience. A shinobi must be patient." He held up three bells. "As I have said yesterday, each of you is to get a bell from me. Whoever doesn't will be tied to one of the posts over there," he pointed. "And will be forced to watch me eat lunch in front of you."

"And what if all three of us get a bell, sensei?" Minato asked, blue eyes playful. "If all of us managed to get the bells, do we get to tie _you_ to the post and eat lunch in front of _you_?" he asked.

Scratching his head, Jiraiya thought about it. He did not believe that all three of them could get a bell from him. The Kaguya kid, maybe, but the other two were average in their class. Thinking over all the possible outcomes, he made his decision.

"Sure!"

Minato grinned.

"Enough talking," Jiraiya told them. He raised his arm. "Three," he counted. "Two, one," he brought his arm down in a flash. "Begin!"

His three ten-year-old students dispersed into the surrounding forest.

* * *

**A/N:** I just finished my chemistry final today, so I found a bit of time to write this. Two more exams to go...

PLEASE REVIEW. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM MUCH APPRECIATED.

**Next Chapter** - Tiger's Eye: Yellow Chakra


	6. Tiger's Eye: Yellow Chakra

**A/N:** Gaaahhh!! I just noticed that I have been spelling Jiraiya's name as "Jaraiya" for the past few chapters!! (Falls over) I did all kinds of spell check and I did not notice this!! Sorry!!

**XLoverbyforceX**** – **Thank you. Your review is very encouraging.

**Cypress-Mountain**** – **I am glad that you have pointed that out. I chose the name because tiger's eye stone has an effect on a person's yellow chakra.

**TigrisRiver**** – **Thank you.

* * *

_Chapter 5 – Tiger's Eye: Yellow Chakra_

* * *

Jiraiya's three students dispersed, leaving him standing alone in the open field. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the faint traces of chakra they had left behind.

_Hmm….found one…_

_Two…_

…_where is the third one?_

He opened his eyes, a smile on the corner of his lips. One of his students is excellent at stealth. Likely, it is the same student that has the lowest chakra capacity.

Stealth requires the forced repression of chakra, so the more chakra one has, the harder it is to mingle into the surroundings.

_Now…I wonder who will be my first victim. _

* * *

Hoshibiki peered through the leaves of the tree he hid himself in. His sensei just stood there, with no means of hiding himself. Hoshibiki retreated back into the tree and thought over what his sensei had said.

_Three students. Three bells,_ he thought. _This shows that this exercise is an entirely individual effort. Likely, the purpose is not to get the bells, but to test our abilities. In that case, a frontal assault would not hurt._

Making up his mind, Hoshibiki made a handseal.

"_Mizu bunshin!_"

* * *

Mikazuki circled the field slowly, taking care of where she placed her foot. She spotted a thicket of trees with fully-developed branches and smiled. This would be a perfect place to set up her apparatus.

* * *

Jiraiya sensed a huge surge of chakra to his right.

_H__ere it comes,_ he thought.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see three Kaguya Hoshibiki around him in a circle.

_Interesting kid, _Jiraiya thought before slashing the clone closest to him with a kunai.

He spun around and lashed at another clone with his leg, which the clone blocked, yet not without tumbling back a few steps. Jiraiya used the momentum to bring his right leg down and kick at the clone again, this time with his left. The clone crashed into a nearby tree and melted down into a puddle of water. Dusting his hands, Jiraiya turned to the last clone.

"Your turn," he said. The clone responded by whipping out two kunai. Jiraiya ran towards it.

_As I have suspected, these are not shadow clones, _he thought. The kunai clashed and sparks flew. _Water clones, a type of puppet technique. The user must be within ten metres of their clone in order to control them. _

The clone continued to barrage him using taijutsu. _Pretty good, being able to control a clone to this extent._

He dodged a kick and slashed sideways at the clone. Then he jumped backwards. The clone followed a certain distance, and then stopped. Jiraiya grinned, and ran to the left. The clone followed, yet all the while keeping the same distance between them. A few minutes passed as they ran in a rough circle, with Jiraiya gauging the approximate location of the clone-user, who was at the epicentre of the ten-metre radius circle.

Smirking, he quickly dispatched the water clone and rushed toward Hoshibiki's hiding place.

The student jumped out of the tree and landed in the field, four metres away from his teacher. He was panting slightly.

Jiraiya straightened up.

"I am impressed, _barely_," he said. "For you to be able to do chakra nature manipulation at such an age when most people's affinities haven't yet fully developed, I am surprised."

The white-haired shinobi paused. "However, I am disappointed in your lack of effort to disguise the weaknesses of your technique. You should have being careful to not let your enemy take advantage of them."

Hoshibiki felt the ground crack and looked down.

A hand was gripping his ankle.

"You are not the only one who can use clones," was the last thing he heard before he was pulled into the ground so that only his head was exposed.

Jiraiya flopped down on the ground beside him. "The natural enemy of water," he said, pulling on Hoshibiki's right ear and ignoring the protest.

"Earth."

* * *

Mikazuki, taking advantage of her sensei's sitting position, sent a rain of shuriken towards him.

Jiraiya looked up, and vanished.

Feeling the cold metal of a kunai blade against her throat, Mikazuki smirked.

"Glad to see that you don't go easy on female students, sensei."

_Kami, not the Uchiha smirk,_ was Jiraiya's thought as a log, accompanied by plenty of smoke, took his student's place.

When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya spotted Mikazuki standing in front of Hoshibiki, legs apart in an offensive stance. She flicked her wrists and five kunai came whizzing towards her teacher. Jiraiya jumped to the side, dodged, and deflected the rest with his own kunai. Before he had recovered his standing position, Mikazuki whipped out more shuriken and strike again, directing the weapons in various directions before arcing them towards their common goal: Jiraiya.

Needless to say, Jiraiya was slightly impressed by the girl's deadly accuracy and precision. Every weapon was aimed at vital organs.

"Good," he said flatly as he deflected another shuriken aimed at his heart. "But not good enough."

Mikazuki felt her weapon pouch with her right hand.

_All but three shuriken left,_ she thought,_ might as well do it now._

Leaning back on her left leg to take pressure off of her right ankle, she crossed her arms and faked throw three shuriken at her teacher, making him jump to the left and putting him directly between her and the large trees she had spotted earlier.

Perfect.

"Now," Jiraiya said, his voice barely changed. There was no evidence of panting.

"Let us see how good your taijutsu is."

A snap made him look back.

As he watched, the thick boughs of the biggest trees in the forest snapped forward, sending forth a shower of needles.

Jiraiya stared.

"When did you set _this_ up," he demanded as he dodged the needles, which are harder to deflect due to their shape and size.

Mikazuki watched impassively from her position. She hadn't moved from the place where she had been standing since the fight began.

"I found the trees when you were fighting Hoshibiki-kun," she said monotonously. "These are gum trees. Their branches are much more flexible than others. I was able to bend them back with rope before setting up the needles. I cut the restraints with my last three shuriken."

She paused, watching as one needle sunk into her teacher's shoulder.

Jiraiya pulled it out. It barely drew blood.

"It is a shame, really," Mikazuki continued. "Other weapons were too heavy and too big to carry in large numbers, so I had to use needles."

"Glad to see you put so much thought into this," a voice behind her suddenly said.

She whipped around. A shuriken flew past her face, slicing off a few strands of hair.

Jiraiya stood four metres behind her, twirling a kunai around his index finger.

He ran towards her and delivered a punch.

Mikazuki dodged, and countered with a kick with her right leg.

_Damn,_ she thought, _I won't last long in taijutsu_. She knew that her weakness was her right leg, so she never relied on it for support in a battle.

A lethal weakness.

And Jiraiya noticed. _So she is right-leg dominant in offence,_ he thought as he caught her foot, twisted, and flung her over backwards.

She flipped, and landed on her foot, only to have her right leg buckle towards the ground. Panting, she leaned forward, using her hands as support as she tried to push herself back up.

As he watched, Jiraiya thought, _something is wrong with her right ankle. I am quite sure that I did not hit it hard enough to make it difficult for her to get up._

Quickly, he moved over, twisted her arms behind her back and pinned her to the ground beside Hoshibiki, who was still trapped in the ground.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled as he tied Mikazuki's arms together. "I have caught two brats. One more to go."

He looked up at the sky dreamily. "I think I'll go take a little break before failing you three."

He 'poofed' away.

Mikazuki flicked her bangs out of her eyes as she strained for a nearby kunai.

Sighing, Hoshibiki tried again, unsuccessfully, to break out of the hole. Their attempts were futile.

Dejectedly, they sat for a while until…

"That was so cool!" said a voice.

Mikazuki and Hoshibiki looked up and spotted their blonde teammate running towards them.

"Did you see? Did you see?" he said excitedly. "Sensei was so cool!"

He was met with silence.

Sensing something amiss, he looked at his teammates and spotted them glaring at him.

"Uh-oh"

Mikazuki was trembling, whether from humiliation or anger he could not tell.

"Minato," she hissed, "if you have stopped fawning over our teacher, _mind helping us?_!"

Scratching the back of his head, Minato grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Zuki-chan," he said as he sliced the rope. Then, they both helped Hoshibiki out of the hole.

"Where were you?" Hoshibiki asked disinterestedly as he dusted himself off.

"I fell asleep," came the reply.

A leaf swirled across the field.

"_What_?!"

* * *

Jiraiya looked through his telescope and giggled at the sight.

* * *

"You were…"

"Sleeping?"

"While we were…"

"Being tortured?!"

Minato looked slightly taken back as two dark shadows loomed over him.

"Please…" he smiled guiltily. "I did do some work."

"Like what?"

His face was calm and confident. "I figured out how we could get the bells."

* * *

Jiraiya looked at his watch. "Fifteen more minutes," he whispered as he continued to observe the women in the bathhouse.

* * *

"You _what_?" Hoshibiki snapped.

Mikazuki held him by the shoulder to prevent him from moving towards Minato. He shrugged her off.

Minato looked at both of them calmly, blue eyes determined.

"I figured out how we could get the bells," he repeated.

"I already know!" Hoshibiki fumed. "I don't need the dead-last of the class to tell me." He was about to walk away when stopped by Mikazuki.

"Hoshibiki-kun," she said through gritted teeth. "Shut up."

Far from shutting up, Hoshibiki was on a roll. "You think you are so smart? Your family is not even shinobi. What makes you think you, an idiot who had turned up at the wrong place in a wrong time, could do?"

Mikazuki grabbed him by the collar and slapped him across the face.

"Zuki," Minato interjected quietly. "You know that he is right."

Glowering black eyes flickered to his face.

"Right or not," she hissed. "Everyone has a right to try and grasp their dreams. Therefore, no one," she turned back to the boy she had slapped. "No one has the excuse to criticize what someone else had hoped for, strove for, and _sacrificed for_, in order to achieve that dream. _No one_." she loosened her grip.

Hoshibiki adjusted his collar and turned away from them.

"We have tried, but failed," Mikazuki continued in a quieter voice. "It can't hurt to listen to someone else's view on the topic."

she turned to the blonde. "Now, Minato, continue."

Minato nodded. "What I have in mind requires help from both of you."

He reached out his hand.

Mikazuki nodded, and place her hand over his.

They turned towards the last member of their team and waited.

Sighing, Hoshibiki turned, and place his hand on top of theirs.

* * *

"Eek! Pervert!" a bucket hit Jiraiya straight in the face.

"Ow," he winced as he jumped off the roof. "I swear that their aim is getting better."

"Or maybe they are kunoichi?" Someone behind him said in a deadly quiet voice.

Jiraiya turned around and stared straight into the face of Tsunade.

_Uh-oh_

* * *

"I think it will work," nodded Mikazuki after Minato had finished.

"I guess we own you one, dead-last," Hoshibiki agreed, then winced as Mikazuki glared at him.

"I mean…_Minato-kun_," he corrected himself.

"Just Minato would be fine," the blonde grinned.

Suddenly, Mikazuki groaned.

"What is wrong?" asked Minato, worried. "It is not your ankle again, is it?"

Mikazuki shook her head. "I used up all my weapons. We will have to reuse the ones I threw."

A bad feeling crept up her two teammates' backs.

"Mikazuki-san," Hoshibiki said tentatively. "How many weapons did you bring?"

She looked around the field. "Just the needles…" she paused. "About a hundred?"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Walking slowly back to the field, Jiraiya sighed heartbrokenly. "So beautiful, yet so violent."

A cough made him look up.

There stood Minato, grinning from ear to ear. "Ready for me, sensei?" he asked.

_Ahh, the last of the group. This should be easy,_ he thought as he charged at Minato.

Realizing the meaning behind the smirk on his sensei's face, Minato smiled. "Didn't your Academy teacher teach you to never underestimate your opponent, sensei?"

"Why you little-" Jiraiya growled as he struck at Minato. "Didn't your teacher ever teach you not to provoke your opponent, especially if they have the potential of killing you?!" he retorted.

Minato was fast, yet he still took a blow to the chest. He coughed, and lashed at his teacher with a leg. Jiraiya caught his foot and flipped him backwards. Minato did not have Mikazuki's flexibility, yet he did have more strength in his arms than her. Utilizing the motion, he brought his upper body up and managed to land a punch on his teacher's jaw. He landed heavily on the ground.

"Brat, you can't pass without the intention of killing me," Jiraiya muttered under his breath as he touched his face. It barely stung.

Straightening up, he started towards the blonde boy.

"_Suiton: Mizurappa_!"

A gust of water made him jump to the side.

The movement made the bells jingle.

He touched them to make sure that they were still there.

"_Suiton: Kiritori Shuuha_!"

A wave of water rushed towards him, leaving cracks on the ground it crossed.

Jiraiya dodged again. _What are these brats up to?_

Unexpectedly, kunai flew through the wave, utilizing the water as a cover for their source and movement and giving him less time to react.

Flipping backwards, the bells on his belt glinted as sunlight caught its surface.

"Minato," Hoshibiki called without taking his eyes off of the wave. Beside him, Mikazuki flung weapon after weapon at the figure trapped in the area surrounded by moving water.

"Get ready,"

Minato nodded.

Bringing his hands in front of him, Hoshibiki summoned chakra to his hands, and moved them to the side. The wave followed the motion and chased after their teacher, a mere shadow when observed through the water.

Mikazuki held a shuriken tensely between her index and middle finger on her right hand, eyes narrowed at the outline of their teacher, blurred by the light reflecting upon the water.

Making a fist, the boy beside her brought his hand upward at Jiraiya, who jumped to avoid the wave. The sanin straightened in mid-air and remained upside-down as the wave shot up past its back.

For a fraction of a second, the bells dangled in mid-air, freed by gravity.

Mikazuki's eyes widened, and she flung the shuriken at their teacher.

Time seemed to slow down as the blade of the weapon sliced through the strings attaching the bells to Jiraiya's belt.

_Damn_, he cursed as he reached for the falling bells.

"Minato! NOW!"

Letting the water fall back to the ground, his teammates watched him race for the bells, for their passports to becoming true shinobi.

* * *

As he ran, memories began flooding into Minato's head.

_"A civilian should stay out of shinobi business," Inoichi had sneered on his first day._

_"Your clan is not even a shinobi clan."_

_"Go home,"_

_"It is hopeless," Kishiro-sensei had told him._

Then the scene changed.

_His father patted him the top of his head. _

_"We may not be a noble clan, Minato," he said gently. "But we are proud. We are one of the supports of Konoha. No matter what others say, no matter what others do, **endure**."_

_Father_

Blue eyes flashing, Minato sped towards his goal with new-found energy.

Mikazuki's words echoed in his head, words spoken when they were still in Academy.

"_Prove to me, to everyone, that you, who are not bound by the chains of a shinobi clan, could fly higher than everyone else."_

_"I will," he had promised._

"Mikazuki-san," Hoshibiki hesitated as he asked the question. "Do you see what I see?"

Nodding, Mikazuki pointed, too shocked to speak.

A blue light surrounded the Minato. It was obviously chakra, yet there was something strange about it.

As they watched, the chakra lightened to yellow, and Minato's speed multiplied. Reaching out, he caught the bells just as his sensei's hands grazed them.

Panting, he turned to his teammates and grinned, proudly flourishing the three bells.

He was caught off guard by Jiraiya, who tackled him from behind, locked his head in the crook of his arm, and ruffled his hair.

Hoshibiki and Mikazuki were too astounded to even acknowledge their bizarre behaviour.

"It was…" Mikazuki stuttered. "It was as if…."

Hoshibiki nodded.

"That yellow flash," he said. His eyes were hard. "It is not normal."

* * *

"Well, congratulations," grumbled Jiraiya. "You all pass."

"You don't seem too happy about that, _sensei_."

Jiraiya cringed. _I got to remember that there is someone on this team who can read me like an open book…_

"So tell, me," he asked Mikazuki, curiosity apparent in his tone. "What did you guys think of the test?"

"It was stupid," came the reply from all three of his students.

" 'A shinobi must look underneath and underneath,' " Minato quoted.

The other three looked at him questioningly.

"I once read that in a book, but I never managed to understand it until today. Thanks, Jiraiya-sensei. You have helped me greatly." He bowed.

Taken back, Jiraiya asked. "Oh? How so?"

"The bells," explained the blonde. "Were a means of making us work together, for how could a lone genin defeat a jounin?"

Twitching, Jiraiya thought,_ that wasn't the exact reason for the bells. I thought by having three bells instead of two, you will think that this is an individual effort and not work together. Therefore, it gives me an excuse for failing you…guess I hoped for too much…_

He stood up.

"That is it for today. We will start missions tomorrow. You brats…uh…I mean…_kids, _go have fun."

He held up a piece of paper. "I have to go hand in some paperwork. See you tomorrow."

_Poof_

Minato put his arms around his companions. Hoshibiki tensed, yet Mikazuki just laughed.

"How about we go out together and eat?" she suggested.

"Sure!" Minato cheered as the brown-haired boy nodded.

An evil look crept into his eyes, however. "But you will be buying, Mikazuki-san," he looked at her sideways.

"What? Why?"

Minato looked at her as well. "Great idea! After all, you _are_ the richest one out of all of us."

"Why are you two ganging up on me? Minato, I thought you were on my side!"

"The ability to deceive is a common shinobi tactic, Uchiha-san," Minato teased in his best Kishiro-sensei-voice.

Rays from the setting sun glinted off three newly-made forehead protectors, changing them into an iridescent shade of silver.

* * *

Mikazuki placed her bell in the black chest.

* * *

The Sandaime looked over the mountain of paper in front of him.

"So did it went well?" he asked.

Jiraiya glared.

Sighing, the Sandaime folded his hands over his desk.

"I'll take that as a no?"

Letting out the breath that he had been holding, Jiraiya laughed. "HA! You fell for it!"

The Hokage reached for his pipe as if nothing had happened. "You are still such a child, Jiraiya. So tell me about their abilities. Do they have any potential value in war?"

Immediately, the laughter subsided.

A serious look crossed his face as Jiraiya replied. "I hope they get a chance to grow up as children, not tools, _sensei_."

"I do too," sighed the Sandaime as he breathed out the smoke. "However, the Council is already deciding to graduate any potential children early from the Academy. Relationships are tight right now, Jiraiya. I am afraid that soon…"

"How long until…?"

"Perhaps next week, perhaps four years later. It all depends on when the match will ignite the oil."

Pausing, the Hokage looked into the eyes of his student. "War may be inevitable. The shinobi countries are eyeing each other's resources and Bloodline Limits."

Leaning back against the wall, Jiraiya closed his eyes as he remembered Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, the orphans he had taught in Hidden Rain. He remembered the haunted look in their eyes, caused by anger and grief over the loss of their family.

In the end, they only had each other.

"Please accept this," whispered Konan timidly as she held out an origami rose.

"Please accept this," another voice said, and the face of Mikazuki replaced Konan. Behind her stood Minato and Hoshibiki. They had the same haunted look, the same look caused by seeing loved ones killed and having to kill in order to live.

"Jiraiya," his sensei's voice broke through his thoughts. "Answer my question."

Shaking his head, the sanin looked at his sensei, glad for the interruption.

"The Kaguya kid, who moved here several months ago, can already do chakra nature manipulation.," he told his teacher.

The Hokage nodded.

"He already knows a few suiton jutsu, and it seems that he has the most chakra of the three. His strength in hand-to-hand combat is formidable, yet he needs to work on the fluidness of his motions. I think he will be ready to work on his secondary affinity soon."

"Mikazuki, the youngest Uchiha to become under the direct command of the Hokage and not the Police Force, is naturally agile and flexible. She is also extraordinarily observant," Jiraiya's right eye twitched.

Noticing this, Sarutobi smiled.

"However, I think something is wrong with her right ankle. It might be because of an old injury, but I think it is more likely that it is deformed, for she can't place her foot in certain positions, or she will fall. Even when walking, she often stumbles. Therefore, her taijutsu needs the most work. Yet, her accuracy in aiming is quite good," finished Jiraiya as he rubbed the shoulder in which the needle had pierced.

"I am most interested in Minato," Sandaime said as Jiraiya paused. "What about him?"

"Interesting kid," Jiraiya grinned. "His speed is abnormal for someone his age. I swear I saw a yellow light when he raced for the bells, but it could be because of his hair. It is too yellow, it hurts my eyes when I look at it…"

Sandaime chuckled. "Well, it seems that you have your hands full at the moment, so I won't order you to help me with this paper work."

He motioned at the mountain on his desk.

_Yes!_ Cheered Jiraiya mentally.

He turned to leave.

"Don't peek on women in the bath house," the Hokage said after him. "I'll have Tsunade watch you!"

"NO!! SHE IS EVEN WORSE THAN THE BRATS I HAVE!!"

* * *

**Please Review!! XD**

**A/N:** I will try to update as much as possible before summer school starts. It all depends on how much my parents will let me use the computer.


	7. Agate: Mission Begins

****

A/N: Really sorry for the short chapter. I won't even try to give excuses. Enjoy.

Bold sections happen in present. Rest all in past.

* * *

_Chapter 6 - Agate: Mission Begins_

* * *

**I come to the end of the white road, where it forks into three paths. A _thing_ stood in my way. Its eyes are empty holes as it looked down at me apathetically.**

**The thing is a Shinigami: a death god.**

"**Which path will you take, mortal?" Its deep voice booms.**

**My hands automatically fly up in the tiger seal.**

**It laughs.**

**"You can no longer mould chakra, mortal," its smile is sinister. "You have spiritual energy, yes, but you lack the physical component. Now answer my question. Which path will you take?"**

"**Path?" I ask absentmindedly.**

"**From your deeds, you get to choose where you want to go," the god explains. "Heaven or Hell?"**

"**Oblivion," I reply without hesitation.**

**The Shinigami stares at me. The eyes remind me of that mission, my first B-rank, during which my body and mind were scarred forever and my innocence gone, never to return...**

* * *

Three genin stood on the mossy rocks that protruded out of the water. One jounin observed them lazily from the riverbank.

"Sensei," the blonde boy called. The white-haired jounin looked at his student through half-closed eyelids, heavy with boredom.

"What?"

"How many D-ranks do we have to do before moving on to C-ranks?" the boy asked as he scooped a plastic cup out of the river with a pair of metal tongs.

Jiraiya sighed. He had hoped to keep his students from the real life of a shinobi for as long as possible, despite the protests of the Hokage.

* * *

Flashback...

"_You can't protect them forever," Sarutobi had told him as he handed over another D-rank._

"_I can try!" Jiraiya had retorted._

* * *

They had progressed quite nicely in the last few months, being already masters of the tree-climbing exercise. He would have to move on to teaching them water-walking soon. His thoughts were interrupted by a yelp from his female student, whose footing slipped.

"Zuki!" Minato yelled as she fell into the river. She was clutching her right ankle.

Jiraiya walked over and helped her sit down on the riverbank. He motioned for his other two students to continue what they had been doing. They obeyed, yet once in a while glanced over worriedly.

"I am sorry, Sensei," the girl grimaced as she clutched her foot.

"Let me see your ankle, Mikazuki," Jiraiya said gently as he helped her take off her sandal. He ran his hands over the ankle.

_As I had suspected,_ thought Jiraiya as he felt the structure of the bones. _The angles at which the bones are jointed are wrong, making them unable to bear her body weight when she place her foot at certain angles. _

"What do you think is wrong with me, sensei?" Mikazuki asked. "It has being hurting a lot more frequently lately."

Standing up, Jiraiya watched as she pulled on her sandal. He held out a hand to her, which she accepted.

"When you walk, turn your right foot so the toes point outwards instead of forwards," he suggested.

The girl looked at him quizzically. "Why?"

"Your ankle," he explained, "can not bear pressure at certain angles. Since we have been doing more vigorous exercises, its ability to sustain your weight has been decreasing, making you fall more frequently."

Mikazuki nodded.

"By avoiding putting pressure on those fragile support points, you will be able to overcome this problem. Try it," he suggested.

Hesitantly, Mikazuki turned her right foot outward, feeling the shift of weight from the middle of the ankle to the side. She took a few steps, limping.

"With practice, the limp will disappear."

"Thank you, sensei," Mikazuki said without looking at him. She was not used to openly expressing gratitude.

Minato and Hoshibiki climbed tiredly up next to them. "No fair, you got to skip this boring mission," Minato complained.

"It is not your place to complain, Minato-kun," Hoshibiki said indifferently. Despite the brief team work they had shown a few months ago, they were going back to their initial bickering.

Jiraiya sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

_Being a teacher sucks,_ he thought.

* * *

"Another successful mission?" The Hokage inquired.

Minato grinned. "Of course!"

Sarutobi filed through his stack of papers. "In that case, here is another D-rank – "

"Hokage-sama!" Minato complained. "Can't we get a C-rank?"

Surprised, the Hokage looked up. "Are you already bored of D-ranks?" he asked.

All three genin nodded as their teacher chuckled nervously.

"I don't know," the Hokage looked thoughtful as he glanced sideways at Jiraiya. "You are one of our youngest genin team. We can't risk you for more dangerous missions."

"I am sure they can handle it," Jiraiya spoke up. "Sensei."

_Might as well get them used to blood, now that they are so curious about other missions_...he thought.

"Well, if you say so," Sarutobi agreed as he looked through the stack of mission application forms.

"There is a merchant's family that requires protection traveling to the Grass country," he informed them. "Mostly from bandits. The odds of encountering ninja are low, as they are heading to a village based on farming and mining and far away from the Hidden Grass village."

His audience nodded.

The Hokage leaned back. "There is just one complication," he looked at Mikazuki.

Feeling self-conscious, she asked, "what?"

"They specifically asked for male body guards. I have explained to them the system of a shinobi team, yet they do not believe that a girl has the ability to fulfill this job," the Hokage shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. "I have certainly come across many splendid kunoichi. Koharu, for one." He named his female teammate, now a member of the Konoha Council.

"Does that mean I have to stay behind?" Mikazuki asked, disappointed.

Shaking his head, a sly look came on to Jiraiya's face. "No, but you can go as a boy," he teased.

She froze.

Beside her, Minato bursted out laughing. Even the normally serious Hoshibiki twitched at the corners of his lips.

The Hokage smiled as well. "I am afraid that Jiraiya is right. We cannot take apart another team for this mission, since we desperately need to strengthen our economy by accepting as many missions as possible."

"I understand, Hokage-sama," she bowed.

"One more thing," the Hokage said as they turned to leave.

"The merchant's destination is near the place where your brother died, Mikazuki-san."

She stared at him.

"Be careful."

* * *

"Ojii-san, I am home," called Minato tiredly as he took off his sandals.

His grandfather looked up from the book he was reading. "How was your day, Minato?"

He shrugged. "Fine, Grandpa."

"Is something wrong?"

Despite his poor eyesight, the old man could tell that something was up from the troubled look in Minato's normally cheerful eyes.

Minato sat down beside him and stared into the empty fireplace.

* * *

_Flashback back to the Hokage building…_

Minato looked at Mikazuki worriedly as the Hokage re-opened old wounds. He felt a chill run up his spine.

Her bangs covered her eyes as she smiled without any amusement.

"Maybe I'll get to avenge him," she said as her fists were clutched so tightly that ther knuckles became white.

_End of flashback..._

* * *

"Minato?" his grandfather's voice snapped him back to the present.

"What makes a person strong, grandfather?" Minato asked, eyes downcast.

The old man paused, surprised by the question. He closed his book.

"Since the start of Academy, I have met many people, each with their own individual reasons for becoming the best shinobi. Some are powered by ambition, others by duty," Minato continued.

He thought about Mikazuki.

"Still, there are ones who push themselves to limits through vengeance. And the hokage, what made them so much more powerful than others? They were from clans with no significant talents or Bloodline Limits, so... how?"

His grandfather placed a gnarled hand over Minato's chest. "What do _you_ think?"

Minato, confused, was a bout to speak when again stopped by his grandfather.

"Close your eyes and listen, Minato. What do you feel?"

"My heart pounding?" he answered flatly.

The old man laughed as he removed his hand. "Close, but not quite. You see, everyone has a heart, yet few has a heart that is as pure as it had been the day they were born."

They sat in silence for a while.

"To defend what is precious to them, that is what makes some people stronger than others. Konoha is famous for its will of fire, Minato, its will to protect others." He held up his index finger. "Let us examine one of the other reasons you have mentioned. Revenge, was it?"

Minato nodded.

"OK, let us say that this person sacrificed everything, turned his back on everyone, in order to exact revenge from someone else," the old man hypothesized. "Now let us imagine that he indeed achieved his goal, what do you think he will do next?"

"Go back to his life as it had been before?" suggested Minato.

The old man shook his head. "It is not that simple," he explained. "For revenge, they had abandoned all the aspects of a human. All that is left is an empty shell, devoid of all emotion. They will waste away, since they have already accomplished their goal and have no other interest in life."

"I often believe that those who focus all their energy on revenge lead the most tragic lives of all."

He smiled sadly at his grandson.

"The Uchiha may have the Sharingan to help them learn. The Hyuuga may have the Byakugan to help them see. Each noble clan may have a secret techinique that aids them in battle. However, true strength comes from the heart, Minato, the desire to protect others. Understand?"

Touching the Konoha symbol on his forehead protector, Minato stood up. "As long as I am alive, ojii-san, I will make sure that the fire in Konoha continues to burn."

* * *

Mikazuki yanked open the door and stormed upstairs to her room, slamming the door closed behind her.

"Zuki?" Mikoto inquired from downstairs.

"I would like to be alone, please," she replied.

She looked at her hands, which were shaking. _What is this feeling?_ she wondered. _Fear? Anger? Finally having a chance to kill my brother's murderer?_

Pulling off the orange headband, she looked at herself in the mirror.

_"Are you sure you want to go after your brother…"_ her teacher had been hesitant after learning about the fatal mission from which her brother never returned.

Pulling out a kunai, she watched the light glint off the blade.

_Nii-san_

Grabbing the ends of her hair, she sheared it up to the base of her neck and watched dully as the strands float to the ground.

She was definitely going. She needed answers to her brother's death.

The door creaked as it opened. "Zuki?" Mikoto inquired tentatively.

She stifled a gasp at the sight of Mikazuki's hair.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone, _Mikoto_," came the emotionless reply.

Her sister stared._ Since when did she stop calling me onee-san_?

"What do you want?!"

Mikoto flinched. Her sister had never spoken to her like that.

"Father wants you downstairs," she told her.

* * *

"Father?"

The man with his back to her turned, and she was once again struck by his eyes.

There was no life in them. _None_.

"You wished to see me," she said this as a statement, not a question.

"So I did," his eye travelled down her face.

"It is time to teach you the Goukakyuu no jutsu," he told her.

Cold sweat broke out on her palms. _Fire?_

Her nightmare rushed back to her. The feelings of seeing her mother burned alive and the sensation of flesh being torn away from bone…

She clutched her head.

Her father continued as if nothing had happened. "I am going to go over the seals. Watch carefully." He clasped his hands together.

_Serpent, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger…_

He paused at the last seal, noticing his daughter's distress.

Seeing the shaking, he laughed. It was not a kind laugh.

"Don't tell me," he said coldly, "you, my daughter, the child of this proud clan, is afraid of playing with fire?"

Slowly, Mikazuki forced her hands down and looked at her father in the eyes.

She was still shaking, however.

"What will the clan think? I have not only produced a failure of a daughter that terminates the rules set by our ancestors, but also a fire-affinity shinobi that is afraid of fire!!" he sneered.

He turned towards the door to the garden. "You know the seals," he said without turning. "Just gather chakra in your lungs and release it through the mouth. I'll check up on your progress in a month."

The door slid close behind him, leaving her still frozen in her position.

* * *

Jiraiya sat by the river near the training field as he gazed thoughtfully at the sky. He could hardly believe that the girl who had laughed with her teammates a few hours ago changed so rapidly.

Sighing, he turned his attention to the little whirlpools formed in the river. Looks like his work will be especially difficult during this mission. He had to make sure that his students don't blow them _and_ their clients up to pieces. They were never too strong in team work ever since the bell test. With Mikazuki mentally unstable and Hoshibiki's intolerant personality, he feels sorry for Minato, who will surely bear the consequences of their outbursts.

Noticing a glint among the pebbles on the riverbank, he reached over and picked up the piece of rock.

Clear, with blue tints.

_Agate,_ he realized. _The stone of Root chakra, signifying a new beginning._

He threw the rock into the river and observed the ripples.

Indeed, it has just begun.

* * *

**A/N: **Any comments, criticism, suggestions welcome. I don't bite. My cat does.

**Next Chapter –** Garnet: Blood, Fire, Scars

(Muahahaha!! More action!! Gonna torture Mikazuki OR/AND Minato a bit…haven't yet decided. I don't know if I should keep Minato or Mikazuki innocent (as in hands unstained by blood) a while longer. You opinons?)


	8. Carnelian: Conflict

**A/N: **Two chapters in one day. (Faints) I have decided to add another short chapter before Garnet, in which there will be lots of action…wow, this is the shortest chapter I have ever written. Sorry. -.-

* * *

_Chapter 7 – Carnelian: Conflict_

* * *

Their clients waited outside the gates of Konoha. The man looked to be in his forties and stood by an animal which the young shinobi had never seen, while his wife and two daughters sat in the carriage. Its back was laden with boxes of all different size.

The man looked over their guards apprehensively: a white-haired man in his twenties, and three young boys.

Raising his eyebrows, he asked, "how old are they?"

"Ten," Jiraiya answered. He pointed to Hoshibiki. "He is the closest to his eleventh birthday."

"Are you sure they will be up to the job?" the man asked, sceptical.

"I do not want people in my village to think that children died to protect us. It is laughable."

"Dear," the woman climbed out of the carriage. "I am sure that we can trust Konoha and its judgements." Although she is in her thirties, she had not yet lost all traces of her looks.

"What are your names?" she asked warmly.

"I am Jiraiya, ma'am," answered the white-haired shinobi. "These are my students: Namikaze Minato, Kaguya Hoshibiki, and Uchiha Mi…zuki."

Mikazuki stiffened.

"May I present my daughters?" The woman gestured to the girls in the carriage. They stepped out.

"Yumi, and Yuki." The two girls curtisied.

"I am Yuri," the woman continued. "And this is my husband, Kazuki. We will be trusting you with our lives for this mission," she smiled.

Minato grinned. "No problem, I am sure that – whoa!" he staggered as the two girls rushed past him to crowd around 'Mizuki'.

"He is so pretty!" They squealed. One of them latched onto her arm.

"Don't touch me," she said flatly as she pulled away.

"He is so dark…and so cool!" They were about to move toward her again when a yell made them stop short.

"What is _this_?!" Minato asked, louder than necessary.

'Mizuki' gave him a relieved look. He winked.

The man patted the animal in front of the carriage.

"You have never seen a horse before?" he asked incredulously.

"No, sir."

"Well, for us civilians, they are the fastest way of – hey! Don't do that!"

The rest of them looked over and saw that Minato, being Minato, had taken a liking to the horse's long tail and was pulling it curiously.

The horse, being a horse, lifted its back hoof and kicked its victim in the stomach, making him fly a few feet and landing in a puddle of mud.

Hoshibiki grimaced. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath.

The girls bursted out laughing. "You are stupid _and_ funny, Minato-kun."

They were still giggling when their mother led them back to the carriage.

Jiraiya shook his head as he closed his notebook in which he was recording ideas for his next novel.

"Mizuki," he commanded. "Help him clean up. We will go ahead."

'Mizuki' nodded. She held out a hand to the boy still sitting in the mud.

"Thanks, Zuki," Minato said gratefully as he accepted the help.

She shook her head. "I should be thanking you for distracting those two. Girls can be so scary."

"You just realized?" Minato mumbled.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What?!"

"Nothing!"

* * *

Deep in a cave at the heart of the Grass country, a demon snored. Its five tails swished back and forth as they swept up clouds of dust from the floor of the cave. A mixture of fur and feathers, its golden hide gleamed.

A sudden gust of wind made it snap open its yellow-green eyes.

Slowly, it stood up, eyes slits.

A low growl erupted from its throat as it spread its claws apart, ready to pounce on the intruder.

Before it could move toward the shadow at the opening of its cave, the figure materialized in front of it.

The five-tailed demon dog was instantedly mesmerized by the figure's blood-red eyes.

As they stared at each other, the spinning tomoe around the stranger's pupils reflected themselves in the beast's eyes.

With a soft thump, it sank back down, eyes glazed over.

The man's red eyes darkened to black as he sat down beside the tamed demon.

"You have done well when you eliminated the last Uchiha to have passed here," his deep voice echoed in the cave.

The flame of a torch near the cave entrance flickered, then went out.

"Now do the same with this one," he chuckled.

"It should be easier. This one is only ten, with no Sharingan to counter mine."

* * *

Mikazuki placed her sleeping bag as far from the campfire as possible. Everytime she sees the flickering shadow, she was reminded of her father's cold words, his hidden threat, and her own nightmare.

"Mizuki," Jiraiya called.

He got no response.

Jiraiya coughed, irritated. "_Mizuki_," he repeated.

Finally realizing that he was calling her, she turned around.

"You will be taking the first shift tonight, alright?"

She nodded slowly.

After they have eaten, the campsite quieted down. The merchant's family shared a tent, while the rest of them will sleep outside.

Luckily, the weather was dry.

* * *

Sighing, Mikazuki climbed up to the top of a nearby tree and stared up at the night sky.

"You really need to work on stealth, Minato, especially with that yellow hair of yours. It is practically target practice for the enemies," she said sarcastically while still staring at the moon.

There was a rustle as Minato climbed up beside her.

"Oh well, you never know. Maybe one day, my mere prescence will scare enemies away," he joked.

"You wish," she replied disbelievingly. "Try scaring me now."

A evil grin came onto his face, which she didn't notice due to the dark. "Fine."

He took out a flashlight and flicked it so it lights up his face, spreading shadows across it. "How is this?" he whispered in a raspy voice.

"That trick is really old, Minato."

He let out a sigh as he sat down.

"What about you?" he suddenly asked as he turned off the flashlight.

She looked at him, confused.

His blue eyes seemed to pierce through her. "You haven't been smiling lately," he stated bluntly.

She waved him off. "That question should be saved for your future girlfriend, Minato," she teased, trying to avoid the question.

His face turned red. "I am only ten! I don't want-- besides, girls are _scary_."

"Oh?" Mikazuki tilted her head to the side. "That is what you think now, but what about a few years later?"

She closed her eyes, pretending to be deep in thought.

"As your _friend_," she continued in a parental tone. "I demand that your girlfriend has to have eye colour compatible with yours. Hmm…let us see….brown? No… too dark. Blue would be nice, but it can't overwhelm yours. Hmm…"

"Whoa! Hold on a sec! That is in the _faaar_away future," Minato said, sounding calm but remained flustered.

His eyes turned serious again. "You did not answer my question."

Her face immediately darkened. "I was hoping that we don't talk about that."

Minato shook his head. "As _your_ friend," he said, turing the phrase she had used back on her. "I have a right to know."

"I am not sure if you want to know," came the hard reply.

"Try me."

She sighed.

"My father taught me a fire jutsu," she said quietly.

"Really? What is so bad about that?"

"You _are_ naive, Minato," Mikazuki said as she stood up abruptly. "Everything we learn will be eventually used to kill. To kill! Do you understand?! It means that we are one step closer to becoming emotionless tools with every jutsu we learn."

Minato leaned away from her, taken back by her words. "I know that," he said quietly. "But I don't buy it. It is impossible for us to cut off all our emotions."

"Ever since my brother died," she continued as if he had not spoken at all. "I have realized what a cruel world this is. The only way to survive is to become even crueller." She took a deep breath.

"In this world," her voice remained cold. "It is either to kill or _be killed_. Not everyone is selfless. Those who are _die_. Look at my brother. If he had saved himself instead of his teammates, he would be alive now! His friends would not have to feel guilty for the rest of their lives!"

"Stop it Zuki! The foundamental aspect of a shinobi is teamwork, meaning that we have to put others before ourselves. Changing your perspective of the way of a shinobi would not bring him back!"

She glared at him furiously. "At least I would be able to avoid the same fate!"

Minato suddenly looked down. "So you would rather watch your friends die in front of you?" he asked quietly.

She turned away. "For a shinobi, it is better if bonds do not exist. They are our downfall."

"I think you are wrong," Minato shot back. "The urge, the desire to protect those bonds could – "

"You should go to bed," she interrupted. "Your shift is in two hours."

Knowing that it was pointless to continue the conversation then, Minato sighed and climbed down the tree.

Above him, a cloud floated in front of the crescent moon, dimming its light.

* * *

**A/N: **Muahahaha! Conflict!! (Gasp) who is that guy with the Sharingan? Any guesses? (Sigh) I had to write the entire thing out by hand….


	9. Garnet: Bloody Fire

**A/N:** I have decided to separate Garnet into two chapters. Otherwise it is too long. Enjoy.

* * *

_Chapter 8 – Garnet: Bloody Fire_

* * *

"How much further, Kazuki-san?" Jiraiya asked tiredly.

The man pointed to the thicket of trees up ahead.

"The village is on the other side," he assured him.

The four ninja sighed. They had been travelling civilian speed for a week and longed for a comfortable place to sleep without being woken almost every two hours to change shifts.

The trip had been uneventful. No bandits or robbers were seen, perhaps discouraged by the mere presence of ninja, despite three of them being very young.

Hoshibiki had found himself the most talkative of the three for once, and it actually worried him. Whenever they were together, he noticed that Mikazuki and Minato had kept him between them.

He glanced at his teacher. The only "fun" they had had on the trip came from finding out what was written in Jiraiya's notebook…

* * *

_Flashback…_

They had been in a hurry that morning, for Jiraiya had sensed the presence of other ninja. Despite the assurance from their clients that Grass ninja have no business with them, they were unwilling to take any chances.

Hoshibiki spotted a small notebook on the ground. He picked it up.

"Mikazuki-san," he called after making sure that the family was out of earshot. "Is this yours?"

She took the notebook out of his hands.

"No, maybe it is Minato's." Her voice broke on the name.

From this, Hoshibiki guessed that the two had an argument.

Mikazuki flipped open the notebook and scanned over the first few pages.

Her eyes grew wide as she flung the book back to the ground, open side down in the mud.

Minato, noticing that something was amiss, came over. Looking at his team-mates curiously, he bent over to pick up the book, yet Mikazuki yanked him back up by the shoulders.

"Don't. Touch. It," she had hissed and shook him with every word she said.

Minato just stared.

This was the first time she had spoken directly to him after their conversation.

Abruptly, she released him.

"Argh! I am mentally scarred for life!" she clutched the sides of her head, trying to delete from her memory what she had read.

She turned on her two team-mates, who automatically took a few steps back.

"You two!" she yelled at them, eyes uneasy. "No matter what our teacher says, NEVER read his books, understand?"

"Why?" they had asked in union.

"Our teacher…" she chocked. "Our teacher is a pervert!!"

The silence was deafening.

_End of Flashback…_

* * *

Hoshibiki chuckled to himself at the memory.

The sight of an Uchiha loosing her composure…priceless.

They should have taken a picture.

A scream broke through his thoughts.

He ran to catch up to the other people ahead of him. They had stopped at the edge of the forest, disbelief and horror coloured their faces.

A group of ten men were ransacking the village. They slashed at anyone in their path as blood trickled into small streams at their feet.

"They are after the minerals from the mines!" Kazuki yelled, appalled.

Jiraiya held him back with an arm. "Take your family back into the forest to hide. We will take care of it."

"Are you sure?" the man looked uneasy. He glanced at the shinobi. "Your students are so young. Isn't it a little early to expose them to-?"

"You hired us to protect you," Jiraiya interrupted. "It is a little too late to regret it now."

The man glared at him.

Then he flicked his whip, and the horse charged back where they had come.

Jiraiya glanced at his three students. "You three," he ordered. "Come with me."

Hoshibiki followed immediately, though not without gulping uneasily.

_Hmph. Guess the kid already received emotional training in Hidden Mist._ Jiraiya observed_. Figures, they are called the Bloody Mist, after all. I would not be surprised if he had his hands already tainted with blood. I am just glad that he moved to Konoha to graduate Academy._

He turned his attention to his other two students, who stood frozen. He could see a trickle of cold sweat run down Minato's face despite of his calm appearance.

"When you asked for a C-rank," he told them none-too-gently. "This is what you get. Experience in battle is something that I could not teach you. Stay back if you wish." He turned to Hoshibiki. "Let us go."

The boy nodded, and they rushed to the village.

* * *

_Getting rid of them is easy,_ Jiraiya thought as he slashed through one bandit with a kunai. _The problem is how many villagers we can save._

Near him, Hoshibiki sliced through a bandit with a gust of water...

Grimacing, Jiraiya pushed two children out of the way of a falling knife.

_That boy,_ he pondered as he blocked another oncoming knife. _He is already merciless in battle. I shudder to think what he would become if he had grown up in Hidden Mist._

* * *

Mikazuki forced her hand to move toward the kunai pouch.

It obeyed, unwillingly.

She grasped the handle of the knife tightly. Her arm was shaking, and she felt numb.

Glancing at Minato, she saw that his eyes were clouded.

_He is traumatized, _she realized. _He is probably not thinking clearly._

She shook her head and laughed at herself. _As if I am thinking clearly myself._

The stench of blood was sickening. She wished that her teacher would hurry up.

However, the invaders were clever.

They took advantage of their excellent swordsmanship and attacked relentlessly without giving them chances to mould chakra. Jiraiya and Hoshibiki were forced to rely on taijutsu alone.

A commotion drew her attention to the right.

A man, with gleaming raven black hair, had just taken a blow from one of the more heavyset bandits. The knife was sunk into his shoulder and slashed across his chest.

Blood sprayed across the ground he was standing on as he fell.

Something twisted in Mikazuki.

The similarities were uncanny: the high cheekbones, the straight nose, and the trademark pale skin.

_Nii-san._

At that instant, the image of her brother replaced the dying man as she gave herself over to the pain and anger in her heart.

The next thing she knew, she had lodged the kunai in his killer's neck. He howled and clawed at the blade. While he was distracted, she whipped out another kunai and sunk it into the chest of the already dying man.

Blood misted her vision and covered her hands, which were sill grasped tightly around the kunai.

She did not falter.

Watching the black-haired man die was like having her brother's death played out in front of her. For a moment, all she thought about was revenge.

The urge, the desire to take all her anger out on this one person, was overwhelming.

The bandit toppled over.

What she had done finally dawned on her when she turned around and took a closer look at her brother's look-alike.

The shape of the mouth was wrong, and the eyes were a light brown, definitely not black.

Shaking, she looked at her hands, stained crimson.

_A shinobi must always remain clam and think rationally,_ Kishiro-sensei had said. _"Those who do not are the causes of death for themselves and their team-mates."_

She had lost control.

Stifling a scream, she wiped her hands on her clothes, trying to get rid of the blood.

It won't come off.

Backing away from the two bodies, she stared at her hands.

She did not notice the shadow behind her, or the glint on the blade as the knife flashed downward...

* * *

Minato saw the blade slashing downward on Mikazuki's head.

Memories of their times together in Academy flooded back to him as adrenaline rushed through his body, removing the numbness.

He rushed towards her, their argument a few days ago forgotten. His blond hair glowed in the sunlight.

_Don't you dare die before me, Uchiha Mikazuki,_ he thought furiously.

_You promised._

* * *

The sound of metal clashing together made her turn around.

Minato was behind her, using both hands to push his kunai up against the oncoming blade. The sides of the kunai cut into his flesh, yet he ignored the pain.

The attacker was momentarily baffled. The boy appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a yellow light.

He stared into the boy's eyes, which were a hard and icy blue.

_What is this look?_ He wondered.

He gulped uneasily.

_They may be ninja, but they are only kids,_ he tried to assure himself.

Still, the look in the boy's eyes scared him.

When the boy spoke, the sound was as sharp as the edge of a knife, cutting through his defense.

"No one," the boy growled.

The bandit flinched at the tone of voice. He found his knife being pushed back.

"_No one_ hurts my friends."

The next instant, he found a knife lodged in his chest.

A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth as he looked at the boy in awe.

_How? A ten-year-old..._

Watching the life drain out of his victim's body, the boy's face remained emotionless.

"_Die_."

The knife was pulled out roughly, leaving the body limp as it fell to the ground.

* * *

The village was a wreck. Most of the men had been at the mines when the bandits attacked. When they had come back, they found many of their family members killed.

The shinobi helped wherever they could, burying bodies and taking care of the wounded.

Jiraiya, however, ordered his students to stay with their clients at their house, saying that they have had enough blood for one day.

* * *

**It was too late. **

**Once death has been experienced, children are no longer just children. **

**Something in them has died as well.**

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair. No one had much appetite. Kauzki's family had begged them to stay a while longer, for they fear that there might be another attack.

They complied.

Hoshibiki had a sprained wrist, whereas the other two were still recovering from shock.

They needed time to heal.

Thought the family trusted them, Jiraiya already noticed the change in their attitude towards them. They were expecially wary of his young students. The grils no longer crowded around Mikazuki, and look at her in a mixture of fear and disgust.

Jiraiya sighed.

To civilians, the idea of a ten-year-old already being able to kill does not settle lightly on their hearts.

"Keep them away from my daughters," the woman had whispered furiously to him.

"They are murderers."

* * *

Mikazuki sat up in her bed, gasping.

_Another nightmare._

She looked out the window and saw a small pond at the back of the house.

_Perfect_

Dressing quickly, she slipped through the back door.

Outside, there was no moon, yet thousands of stars scattered themselves throughout the sky.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the pond.

Hesitantly, she began forming seals.

Concentrating on the fear mounting inside her, she distracted herself from the horrors she had seen today.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

If she could choose between fire and blood, she would prefer the former.

* * *

"Sensei?" Minato inquired from the door.

Given up on sleeping, he had meant to get a glass of water to clear his thoughts.

Instead, he found his teacher in the kitchen, staring out the window.

Jiraiya put a finger to his lips. "Look," was all he said.

Minato looked out the window. There was Mikazuki, forming seals at such a speed that her hands had become a blur.

However, as soon as a flicker of flame appeared near her mouth, she jumped back, as if startled.

Jiraiya shook his head. "She had been practicing for an hour. Even though she moulds the right amount of chakra every time…" he sighed.

He looked at Minato, whose face remained neutral.

"Still thinking about what happened?" he asked as gently as he could.

"I was," Minato admitted.

"You know that this would happen sooner or later," Jiraiya told him, keeping his eyes on Mikazuki.

Minato shook his head. "It was not the fact that I killed made me unable to sleep. It was the disgusting feeling of pleasure I had when I sunk my kunai into that man. I am afraid…that I might one day become a psychopathic killer. What if there comes a day when I could no longer feel anything, my heart as hard as stone? The very idea torments me."

"Don't be ashamed. You killed in order to protect what you cared for," Jiraiya informed him. "You overcame your own fear of being killed, because you wanted to defend what is important to you."

Minato turned his piercing gaze onto his teacher. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

"Next time you fight," Jiraiya continued. "Think of what you are fighting for. Yourself? Fame? Money? Or your friends? When the answer becomes clear, you strike, and make every blow count."

Minato smiled. "The answer is already clear to me, sensei."

"Oh?"

The smile lighted up his eyes.

"For my friends. _Always_."

Jiraiya smiled and ruffled Minato's hair. "Kinda getting fond of you brats," he grinned.

Turning his attention back to the figure by the pond, Minato's smile dimmed.

"Zuki doesn't share that view," he said sadly. "She believes that we can only survive if we cut off all our emotions and--"

Jiraiya stopped him by holding up a hand.

"Despite common belief, shinobi cannot eliminate all their feelings. They can only lock them away during battle, and release them when they are alone. Otherwise, they will break, both mentally and physically."

He paused.

"The will to live might be able to unlock limitations and discover new power," he continued. "Yet it cannot last. What is the meaning of living when everything you cared for is gone?"

He looked seriously at Minato. "It is late. You can think about what I have said later."

Minato nodded, eyes clouded once more.

* * *

Mikazuki sank to her knees, panting.

_It is no use,_ she thought dejectedly. _Everytime I see the flames, I think of my nightmare and lose my concentration. As a result, the chakra in my lungs escapes, and the fire disappears._

"You do not have a strong enough will to complete this jutsu," a voice stated behind her.

"Why aren't you asleep, sensei?" she asked warily as she started the seals again.

A hand reached out and grasped her arm.

"You need to rest," Jiraiya told her seriously. "You do not have a lot of chakra to begin with. Continue and you will die."

She yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"My goal for practicing this is not to complete this jutsu. It is merely a distraction," she said gruffly.

Jiraiya sat down on the edge of the pond. "Different people have different ways of dealing with their first kill," he said as he trailed his hand through the water.

"You have chosen the worst possible way: avoidance."

She turned away from him.

"Take Minato," he continued. "He faced his problem, found the cause, and devised a solution."

"Well, I am not him," she interrupted as she started to walk back into the house.

"Cutting off bonds may make an excellent shinobi," he said quietly, making her stop short.

"_But_, it does not make a complete person. Remember that, Uchiha Mikazuki."

* * *

In a lone cave, a man and a demon stirred.

"It is time."

* * *

**Next chapter – Emerald: Healing Scars**

**A/N:** so tired…I am still working on the details for the fight next chapter and the chunin exams…


	10. Emerald: Healing Scars

**A/N: **Technology…really... sucks. I worked two hours typing this chapter yesterday, and my computer got infected with a virus and deleted the whole thing... (twitch). Now I have to redo it….

Someone has asked me about Mikazuki's Sharingan. They won't appear for a while…XD

* * *

_Chapter 9 – Emerald: Healing Scars_

* * *

"Is this it?" Minato asked, pointing to a pile of greenery.

Jiraiya nodded. "Pick as much as you can."

His two students set to work pulling at the green herbs. After the attack, some villagers had been falling sick due to the bacteria manifesting in dead bodies.

Hoshibiki had volunteered to stay behind, stating bluntly how he would only get in the way.

Jiraiya had sent a frog summon back to Konoha to request for a medical team. The Hokage had been reluctant at first, for this was not covered by the original mission request. He gave in, however, when Kazuki offered to put in a bigger sum of money than needed for the original C-rank mission.

Minato rubbed his bare arms, feeling goosebumps. The climate in Grass was windy, often stirring up dust clouds.

Whenever Minato leaned over, his bangs got in his eyes.

"Sensei," he grumbled. "Why did we have to leave our forehead protectors behind?"

"I thought I have told you already. We have made a big commotion when we dealt with the bandits," Jiraiya answered him without looking up. "We don't want to attract attention from Hidden Grass."

Mikazuki looked at Minato, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you complaining so much these days?"

"You are lucky," Minato groaned as another gust of wind blew his bangs into his eyes. "You have a headband to hold your hair back."

She touched her brother's headband. "So? What is your point?" she taunted.

"Hurry," Jiraiya interrupted the bickering. "It is getting dark, and we have come further away from the village than usual."

* * *

Among the shadows, a lone Sharingan flashed dangerously through the hole of an orange mask.

The man's spiky black hair rippled in the wind as he stopped repressing his chakra.

* * *

Jiraiya stiffened.

They were being watched.

He stood up slowly, eyeing their surroundings.

"What is wrong, sensei?" Minato asked.

Jiraiya put a finger to his lips.

"Stay here," he whispered.

The students nodded, and Jiraiya rushed off to locate the strange chakra he had sensed.

* * *

The man smiled behind his mask.

"Yes," he whispered. "Leave your students alone."

The three tomoe around the centre pupil swirled.

"Leave them unprotected, weak and vulnerable."

He moved, leading Jiraiya further away from his students.

* * *

Slowly, Mikazuki walked over to where Minato was kneeling.

She still had a slight limp.

Squatting down, she placed the leafy stems into the basket in front of him.

"Minato?" she inquired softly.

"Hmm?" he answered distractedly as he squinted at the grass.

_They all look the same!_ he groaned.

"About the other day…" she began, but was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind, bringing with it the scent of rotting meat.

Both of them raised an arm against it to shield their eyes from flying debris. The ground vibrated.

"I SMELL BLOOD," a voice rumbled, sending chills down their spines. "SWEET UCHIHA BLOOD."

On hearing the word 'Uchiha,' Minato instantly stepped in front of Mikazuki, but she pushed him out of the way.

"Idiot," she told him coldly. "A smart person would run, especially if the danger is not directed at them."

"No," Minato replied flatly. "I told you. We each have our own shinobi ways, and mine is to never abandon my comrades."

She snapped.

"Why are you so stubborn?" she yelled at him. "You think I would feel any better if someone died because of me?"

Her voice then turned icy cold.

"You _are_ an idiot, Minato," she hissed. "You allow emotions to overcome reason. Your will to protect others before yourself will be your death."

"WELL SAID!" a voice boomed, and their mouths fell open at the beast sauntering towards them.

* * *

"Stop right there," Jiraiya commanded as he jumped down in front of the man in black. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled. "You are a fool to fall for such a simple trick and leave your students just like that, little Sanin."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes dangerously. "How did you-" he began.

A wave of evil chakra swept from the clearing his students were in, and realization dawned on his face.

_Shit._

* * *

The beast was huge, about the size of a small house. As they watched, it steadily grew, becoming as big as the mountains beside it.

Seeing the looks on the two humans' faces, it grinned. Its eyes glowed a luminescent green. Then, waves of chakra were released from its body as it began to shrink back to its original size.

"A WASTE OF CHAKRA," its voice sounded disappointed. "A STAIN UPON MY HONOUR AS A TAILED BEAST TO USE MY BIGGEST SIZE TO FIGHT YOU TWO INSIGNIFICANT HUMANS."

As it spoke, its five tails fanned out, trailing feathers at their tips.

"The five-tailed demon dog," Minato breathed in awe.

Yellow-green eyes turned on him.

"YOU HAVE HEARD OF ME?" the beast asked, pleased.

"Yes," Minato replied, unfazed by the situation. "And how you were almost killed by the nine-tails and banished from his domain."

The beast growled.

Mikazuki nudged her companion. "You sure it is a wise idea to _provoke_ it?" she asked, exasperated.

Minato shrugged as he grinned sheepishly. "Can't help it. According to my grandfather, the five-tails is one of the weakest of the Bijuu."

"GRRRR...ENOUGH TALK," the beast interrupted.

As they watched, its golden fur began to grow, swirling as if it has a life of its own. The tendrils curled and snapped like snakes as they extended toward the two ten-year-olds.

"I AM HERE FOR THE GIRL," its voice rumbled as its fur twirled around them like a swarm of bees. It looked at Minato, who was standing back-to-back with the girl in defensive position.

"HAND HER OVER," the beast said to him. "AND YOU MAY GO."

"Like hell, _furball_," he growled. His eyes were determined.

Mikazuki glared at him. "_Idiot_."

"I would rather be an idiot than a _coward_ who betrays others to save himself," he shot back evenly.

The beast chuckled. "VERY WELL," it said, and masses of fur rushed forward, trying to engulf them.

"LET US SEE HOW LONG YOU CAN LAST."

They cut the slick fur back, only to have it wrap around their arms and yand away their weapons. It was like fighting a living mass of water, as the fur conformed to almost any shape, splitting apart to avoid a slash, and then combining back together to wound around their ankles.

Stumbling, Mikazuki grimaced.

Old habits die hard.

She had put too much pressure on her ankle again.

Taking advantage of the situation, three swarms of fur shot out towards her.

In an instant, Minato was in front of her and pushed her out of the way.

Mikazuki looked on in horror as the fur enveloped around him.

Struggling to stand up, she strained for his hand, but more fur wrapped around him, encasing him in a tightly-woven cocoon.

"WELL, WELL, WELL," the demon grinned.

She stared at the eyes of the demon as the cocoon was lifted off the ground.

"Minato," she growled through gritted teeth. "You_ idiot_!"

Her hands were clenched tight. "You big, big, BIG idiot!!"

* * *

"Where do you think you are going?" a bored voice said. Jiraiya swirled around and blocked an oncoming kunai.

The impact shook his arms.

"Your opponent is _me_," the masked man whispered as he stroke again.

* * *

The beast looked at her, amused.

"HE IS NOT DEAD," it smiled. "NOT UNTIL I SUFFOCATE HIM!!"

The cocoon suddenly contracted, and a muffled yell of agony was heard.

"Stop it!" she commanded.

Cocking its head, the demon said: "JUST A LITTLE TORTURE. HE IS STILL ALIVE. WHY ARE YOU CRYING OVER SOMETHING LIKE THAT?"

_Crying?_

She touched her cheek and was shocked to find it damp. She didn't even cry when her brother died. Why now?

_Because this time, it is your fault._ A voice whispered in her head. _If only you had not come into his life. If only you had severed the bond between you two sooner. If only…_

Ignoring the voice, she reached towards her pouch and extracted one kunai. Even so, her heart sank. There is no way that she could save both of them.

If she ran now, she might have a chance.

Something, however, stopped her.

_Bonds, s_he thought bitterly. _Bonds are such a pain._

"TELL YOU WHAT," the demon said in a bemused voice. "LET US MAKE A DEAL."

Its eyes looked like a predator about to jump on its prey.

She stared unblinkingly at the cocoon.

"Go on."

"YOU FOR HIM," the demon's eyes bore into her own. "AS SIMPLE AS THAT."

"You are not going to let me go even if I don't agree," she stated frankly.

The give-tails laughed mockingly. "SMART KID. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE MY ORIGINAL TARGET."

She looked down at the kunai in her hand.

Her last kunai.

Her last chance to live.

Is she really going to give it to someone else?

Her own words came back to her.

_"Emotions are weak. Many shinobi die because they are unable to get rid of them. **I **intend to live, even if it means cutting off all my bonds."_

Staring at her reflection, she saw her brother's face, black eyes filled with a look that she could not name. Sorrow? For whom? Himself or his friends?

_Nii-san, _she thought sadly. _Is this how you died? When you chose your team-mates' lives over your own?_

"I AM WAITING," the demon growled impatiently. Slowly, the cocoon began to squeeze.

Mikazuki looked up, smirked, and threw the kunai at the cocoon. It sheared off a few wisps of fur.

The squeezing motion stopped.

"I WILL TAKE THAT AS AN 'YES' TO OUR DEAL," the demon beamed. The cocoon unravelled, and Minato's limp body fell out.

She rushed over, jumped, and caught him before he hit the ground, wincing as she landed on her right foot.

Examining his wounds, she found angry red welts covering his skin where the ropes of fur had bitten into his flesh.

Gently, she set him on the ground as the same fur that had imprisoned him started to slide around her body…

* * *

Sudden light made his eyelids fly open. Minato sat up, moaning. Being almost strangled was not a pleasant feeling.

His eyes widened as memories came back to him. Desperate, he looked around.

"Here," a calm voice said, yet he sensed a dash of panic.

Looking up, his breath caught in his throat.

A rope of fur, about the thickness of his arm, was wrapped around Mikazuki from the neck down. As the fur gradually tightened around her throat, she smiled faintly down at the blond boy.

"What I was going to say earlier," she said quietly, referring to when they were still picking the herbs.

she closed her eyes.

"I am sorry. And thank you."

The demon growled, and more of its fur extended and enveloped the girl from behind.

His eyes widened. _For what?_

* * *

Jiraiya was panting hard.

On the other hand, his opponent seemed to have endless energy and recuperates at an abnormal speed.

As they clashed with their kunai again, Jiraiya looked into the hole in the mask and saw a flash of crimson.

_It cant be._

The masked man delivered a kick, which Jiraiya tried to dodge.

The foot grazed his face.

Jumping, he risked a glance in his students' direction.

_You brats better not die,_ he thought.

* * *

The demon watched, bored, as the blond boy hacked uselessly at the cocoon, still attached to the fur on its neck.

Wisps of yellow fur rained down on him.

"YOUR EFFORST ARE FUTILE," the beast hummed. "AS SOON AS SHE DIES, I WILL LEAVE THE BODY FOR MY MASTER TO DEAL WITH."

Minato slumped to the ground. Large beads of sweat dotted his face.

"Who is your master?" he demanded. "Why do you obey him? Why is he after her?"

A cut suddenly appeared on his cheek.

Minato winced as he felt it gingerly with his hand.

The demon narrowed his eyes at him.

"YOU BETTER REMEMBER YOUR PLACE, LITTLE BOY," its tails swished back and forth. "BESIDES, I BEAR NO ALLIANCE WITH MORTALS."

"You did say that you have a master," Minato said as he glanced sideways at the cocoon.

Maybe he should try shuriken next?

_Damn._

If only he knows a few wind jutsu…or fire would be even better…or anything!!

He put his head down.

Why is he so useless? If Hoshibiki was with them, he would not have let the same things happen. The cursed dog would probably be half-drowned by now…

"THE MAN WHO I AM OBEYING IS…PERCULIAR," the demon admitted, licking its front right paw. "HE HAS POWERS BEYOND THAT OF A MERE HUMAN. ONE LOOK IN HIS EYES, AND I FOUND MYSELF DOING WHATEVER HE ASKED."

It looked at the cocoon. "I HAD A SIMILAR FEELING THE LAST TIME AN UCHIHA PASSED HERE. THEY WERE ON AN ASSASINATION MISSION, I THINK."

Minato looked at him steadily. "And?"

"HIS COMPANION WAS A LOT LIKE YOU," the demon answered. "BRASH. SELF-CONFIDENT. WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR OTHERS," the dog said as it cleaned its other paw. "SILVER HAIR, WITH A BLADE THAT GLOWS WITH WHITE CHAKRA. DEALING WITH THOSE TWO WAS MUCH HARDER. I ACUTALLY HAD TO USE CHAKRA, UNLIKE TODAY."

_Konoha's White Fang?_ Minato wondered. _He was the Uchiha's companion? Then…_

* * *

Inside the prison, Mikazuki's eyes flew open. This demon killed her brother? And its master. Why is he after Uchiha members?

* * *

"AS GREAT AS HE MIGHT SOUND," the dog continued. "HE WAS THE UCHIHA'S DOWNFALL."

It snickered. "JUST LIKE YOU ARE THIS GIRL'S."

* * *

Inside the cocoon, it was becoming unbearably hot. Struggling, she tried to free her right arm.

_Why?_ A voice called in the back of her head. _Why do you still want to live after everything that happened?_

Bewildered, Mikazuki looked around. There was no one there.

_Your mother is dead,_ the voice continued. _Your brother is dead. Your father does not even acknowledge your existence. Your sister won't want to talk to you after the way you have spoken to her. You have had plenty of arguments with the few friends you have…_

_Shut up._ she thought.

_Just give up,_ the voice soothed. _Give up and you will be freed from this pain. Forever._

* * *

Meanwhile, Minato had had enough.

"Uchiha Mikazuki!" he shouted. "You liar! Traitor! I see you like a sister, yet you are no different from our classmates in Academy. You can't even keep your promise to me!"

* * *

_Promise?_ she thought faintly.

Then her eyes widened.

_That promise. The promise to stay with him until he dies._

_Don't tell me that you have forgotten?_ The voice mocked. _What kind of shinobi are you?_

_I thought I told you to shut up,_ she growled.

The voice ignored her. _You know that I am right._

Mikazuki closed her eyes once more. Her breathing was becoming shallower and faster.

_I guess_, she though weakly.

She had always been protected. Her mother. Her brother. Even her sister tried to shield her from their father.

And Minato. He saved her. Twice.

And now she cant even keep a simple promise.

Minato's words came back to her. _"I believe,"_ he had said as a smile lighted up his eyes. _"That the will to protect others has the strongest power in the world. Even if my body was town apart, even if I have to walk on fire, that power will help me prevail."_

Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath, and managed to wiggle out her right arm.

She can't die yet.

It was her turn to protect, not to be protected.

She pulled at the binding around her neck without much success. The constricted movement of her right arm due to the fur still wrapped around her shoulders was not helping her case at all.

She was about to think of a new tactic when something else caught her attention.

Slowly, she ran her hand over the fur.

It was oily.

She smiled.

_Perfect._

Then she struggled again.

Now if only she could free her left hand…

* * *

A voice suddenly echoed in the cocoon, making her freeze. This was a deeper voice than the one she had been listening to.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR NONESENSE, LITTLE BOY," it growled.

Mikazuki cursed.

_That idiot is still there?! Why didn't he run?!_

Deep down, though, she knew why.

She bent over, coughing as the bindings suddenly tightened. Luckily, no new fur wound around her freed right arm and left hand.

_Good enough,_ she thought.

"Oh?" a calm voice came from outside. "What are you going to do?"

A roar shook her prison.

"I AM TERMINATING MY CONTRACT WITH THIS PATHETIC UCHIHA. YOU ARE GOING TO MEET THE SAME FATE S HER!"

Her heart stopped.

_No._

She pulled loose some of the fur that had formed the rope around her body. They were still connected to both her and the demon.

Placing the ends into her mouth, she bit down on them, hard.

Shakily, she clasped her hands together, having to strain her right arm in order to reach her left hand.

_Serpent…ram…_

_What are you doing?!_ Her voice had come back. _This is suicide!!_

_Monkey…boar…_

Outside, the sounds of shuriken whizzing was deafening. She heard the demon roar as a shuriken hit its mark.

_Horse…_

_I want_…she thought fiercely. _To be able to protect someone for once. To keep a promise to my best friend. To create my own shinobi way._

She slammed her hands together.

_Tiger!_

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!_

* * *

The masked man was about to move toward Jiraiya again when the ground cracked and he had to jump back to avoid the huge crater appearing beneath him.

Jiraiya wiped the dust from his face.

"About bloody time, Tsunade," he grinned.

* * *

A bright burst of fire exploded from inside the cocoon.

The demon howled as the flames travelled along its fur, feeding themselves on the oil secreted by his skin.

Blinded by the smoke and flames, it ran, leaving trampled vegetation in its wake.

Minato covered his eyes with his hands as light shot from the cocoon. When it dimmed, he rushed over to the lifeless body lying among the grass.

"Zuki?" he asked tentatively.

No response.

He placed a hand above her mouth.

No breathing.

Panicking, he was about to lift up her head, but then he hesitated. Fire had travelled along her bindings, burning her skin wherever the fur came in contact.

He sat down with his back to her, watching the sky darken.

_Now what do I do?_ he thought. _I can't just leave her here while going for help. But she needs immediate medical attention...if she is not dead already._

A drop of water landed on the grass.

* * *

Mikazuki coughed, and then opened her eyes. Opening her mouth, she gulped the fresh air. The tightness in her chest lessened.

She tried to sit up. Her body does not hurt at all, yet it won't respond. She looked down, and was shocked to find that bands of burned skin had replaced the twisted bands of fur.

_I **told** you it was suicidal,_ a voice said. _They are going to scar, if you are lucky. If they become infected, you are going to die._

_You are **still **there?_ she moaned. _I thought that I had got rid of you as well._

The voice chuckled. _I am part of you after all._

It faded away. _Let's chat again sometime._

_Great. _

"Minato?" her voice was a harsh whisper. It won't get any louder.

He turned around immediately.

"Zuki?" he poked her cheek experimentally.

"What?" she leaned her head back, irritated.

He squeezed her. "I thought you were dead!!"

She coughed. "I would rather not be strangled for the second time in a day, Minato," she said, voice raspy. She looked at her burns. _Why aren't they hurting?_

Minato laughed as he carefully released her.

She lied back down, deprieved of all her energy. "Remind me to work on your common sense later," she said tiredly. "When facing a monster that big, you are _supposed _to run, not anger it by stabbing it with shuriken."

Her vision was becoming blurry.

Minato placed his head down near her lips to hear what she had to say next.

"I_ told_ you that bonds and emotions will be our downfall," she said sleepily.

Blackness surrounded her once more.

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter will be used to tie up some loose ends. Chunin exam will be the next arc. The severity of Mikazuki's wounds and why they did not hurt will be explained as well. I did some research on third-degree burns….XD Kushina is going to appear soon…

**Next chapter- **Turquoise: One Year


	11. Turquoise: One Year

**A/N:** Someone has pointed out that all my Japanese plural nouns, such as 'kage' and 'jutsu,' do not have 's' s. They are not _supposed_ to. Japanese do not add 's's to end of plurals. This is the same with Chinese. Thanks anyway. XD

* * *

_Chapter 10 – Turquoise: One Year_

* * *

Listlessly, the demon licked its burns. A low growl erupted from its throat as it locked the faces of the two genin with their scents.

Once it had encountered an opponent, it would never forget their smell. When they meet again, whether it was in a few days or a hundred years, they will fight again.

"I see that you have failed," a voice said from the opening of the cave.

The beast bowed its head. Beaten by a human, that is the worst dishonour a demon could receive.

Uchiha Madara placed a hand on the five-tailed dog's massive paw.

"No matter," he said as he closed his eyes. "One day, I am going to eliminate all the Uchiha at once."

He took off his mask.

"Just wait, Konoha. Just wait."

* * *

Tsunade examined her clipboard and shook her head.

"You take _really_ good care of your students," she told Jiraiya. Sarcasm dripped from each word.

He merely smiled at her nervously.

They stood in the living room of Kazuki's house. The other medics who had come with Tsunade attended to the villagers while she insisted on herself healing the three genin.

Minato stood with his teacher, a bandage on his cheek where the demon had sliced his skin.

_Tsunade-sensei must be scary_, he thought. _For her to make sensei shiver…_

It was the first time he encountered Tsunade face-to-face, and she had already struck a degree of fear into him simply by making his teacher cringe with every word she says.

"Third and second-degree burns," Tsunade informed them. "If the burns had covered more than half of her body, she would have died."

Minato stared at her with wide eyes.

"But she did not seem to be in any pain," he objected.

Tsunade looked at him seriously. "Third-degree burns mean that the fire had burned through all three layers of skin cells and damaged the nervous system. Since the nervous system has been affected, her brain could no longer register any signals from the burned areas."

She paused to look at her observations.

"The skin has been charred black. I have completely healed the nerves and the third cell layer. _If _her wounds do not get infected, she will be able to travel back to Konoha in about a month."

"If?" Minato demanded. "What do you mean 'if'?!"

"Now," she walked past them, ignoring Minato. "I'd better go see how those amateur medics are doing."

With her blonde hair fluttering, she left the two alone.

Jiraiya placed his hand gently on Minato's shoulder.

"I have once read in a book that an Uchiha's fire causes second-degree burns at the most, sensei," Minato said quietly.

"That is under the usual circumstances of ninja vs. ninja, with no help from other sources such as oil," Jiraiya told him gently. "The severity of burns depends on both the power of the flames and the amount of time it contacts with the skin."

"Either way, this is my fault."

Jiraiya shook his head. "It was out of the range of your abilities. There was nothing you could have done."

He glanced at Minato, who still had his head down.

Squatting down beside him, Jiraiya looked at his student steadily in the eyes.

"This isn't like you to mope, brat," he said as he ruffled Minato's hair. "You can't change what has already happened."

Minato smiled weakly at his teacher.

"I know, sensei, which is why_ I_ am the one who is going to change. I want to become Hokage."

Smiling, Jiraiya tilted his head as he raised his eyebrows. "That is a very difficult goal, Minato. You are not the only one who wants to be Hokage. Why would you want such a troublesome position?"

Minato took a deep breath.

Jiraiya blinked as a man materialized behind the boy in front of him. He had the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and that air of obstinacy and determination.

Some things were different, however.

The eyes were no longer the innocent eyes of a child. They were weary, evidence of participating in countless battles.

He had the air of authority, an aura that demands respect while at the same time stirs feelings of awe and admiration from his comrades and draws fear from his enemies.

However, when he spoke, his voice carried the same sincere feelings as the younger version of himself.

"To defend everything that Konoha stands for," they said, voices blending in perfect harmony.

"To learn from the past, to protect the present, and to improve the future."

Jiraiya cleared his eyes, and the man disappeared.

Oblivious to his teacher's hallucinations, Minato closed his eyes.

"That will be my life's mission."

* * *

A girl booked out at the stormy waters. She was frowning deeply at the horizon.

_I can't see the Land of Fire today,_ she thought, disappointed.

Growing up on a small island situated between the main continent and the Land of Water, she had always wondered about the countries beyond the waters surrounding her home: the Country of Whirlpool.

Despite being one of the smallest shinobi countries, the Whirlpool shinobi were proud of who they are and their peculiar way of life. They have their own language, different from the rest of the world, and their own distinct culture.

Sheer cliffs dropped to the waters surrounding the entire island: A natural defense against invaders. Never did the people leave their island, except for attending special occasions such as the chunin exams. Other counties do not take them lightly, not only because of the skilful shinobi and the naturally formed defenses, but also the huge sea serpent living in the humongous whirlpool that had given the island its name.

The islanders worshipped the serpent like a god. It was their gentle seven-tailed guardian.

Sighing, the girl walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the whirlpool, swirling downwards like an endless black hole, sucking in anything that comes close to it.

_If I can't see the mainland today_, she thought. _Maybe I can catch a glimpse of the serpent. They say it only appears before mortal eyes once a year, unless there are threats near the island. Hmph. I don't believe it._

"Kushina!" A male voice suddenly called behind her, making her almost teeter over the edge.

Grumbling, she turned round and spotted an older boy with the same red hair as her.

"What?!" she said impatiently. "I almost fell into the black hole, God dammit!"

Her brother shook his head. "Watch that language, young lady. Sometimes I wonder if you are actually a girl. I mean- just look at how short your hair is!"

He ducked his head sideways to avoid a rock that had suddenly taken a liking to him.

Huffily, Kushina sat down, legs dangling dangerously over the edge of the cliff. "What do you want, _nii-san_?"

He straightened up, green eye serious. "Father wants to see you. It is about the chunin exams taking place in Kumo two years from now."

She blinked in confusion. "Hidden Cloud?"

Sunlight gleamed off of her forehead protector.

* * *

"Minato," the girl panted as she struggled to keep up with her teammates. "Stop treating me like a sick person. I can carry my own backpack." Her voice was barely above a whisper, as the fire had damaged her voicebox beyond healing.

"Yeah right," he said as they stopped to wait for her. "You even have difficulty thinking straight. Remember how you tried to push on a door has no handle and obviously _slides_ open?"

Jiraiya shook his head. They haven't changed even after their near-death experience.

The good thing is, their bickering was no longer as loud, since Mikazuki can't yell anymore.

Hoshibiki chuckled to himself as he listened to teammates. They were a great source of entertainment during the dull trip back home.

As the gates of Konoha loomed over them, Jiraiya waved a hand at his students.

"Go home," he told them. "Eat. Sleep. _Relax_. We will be starting new training tomorrow."

The three students sighed, and then departed.

* * *

"So you have encountered a ninja on this mission?" the third Hokage asked.

"Yes," Jiraiya nodded. "And not just any ninja. It was a former ninja of Konoha."

The Hokage lifted his head from his paperwork.

"And you say that he was after Uchiha members and possesses the Sharingan? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Rubbing his temple, the Hokage closed his eyes. "All known Uchiha missing-nin should have been dead by now. The man was wearing a mask, so you might have been mistaken about the Sharingan. People with red eyes do exist."

Seeing that his student opened his mouth to protest, Sarutobi raised his hand.

"It might not be an actual threat to Konoha," he analyzed. "The Uchiha is a warrior clan. They have made many... _personal_ enemies before pledging themselves to Konoha. Therefore, I do not think that it is anything to worry about in the present."

He lighted his pipe. "However, I think it would be wise to inform the Uchiha leader."

He dropped the topic and picked up a scroll from his desk. It bore the insignia of Hidden Cloud.

"Kumo has sent an invitation for its chunin exams, taking place less than two years from now," he informed Jiraiya. "I plan on sending your team, along with another slighter older genin team."

Jiraiya stared. "Kumo? That is so far! And Konoha's relations with it are not that great…"

Sarutobi puffed out a cloud of white smoke.

"Exactly," he agreed. "But Kumo is presently the strongest among the five shinobi villages. We cannot afford to offend it by refusing to send our genin there."

"Still, why my students?" Jiraiya protested. "There is a chunin exam being hosted in Kiri next year. I think it is safer for them to attend that one."

The scroll was thrown at him. Jiraiya caught it with one hand as he looked at his teacher.

"Read it!" the Hokage commanded. His patience was wearing thin due to the increasing tension between the five Kage of the shinobi villages.

The Tsuichikage had hinted at the use of violence to put an end to their disputes.

Jiraiya obeyed his teacher wordlessly. His eyes widened as he struggled to keep his temper in check.

"This…this is absurd!!"

The Hokage sighed. "They have asked...no, _demanded_ the presence of members from Konoha's two most prominent clans: Uchiha and Hyuuga."

He stared out the window and drank in the peaceful view of the village. "You do know what refusal would mean, do you not?"

Numbly, Jiraiya nodded.

"I have already taken as many precautions as possible," the Sandaime removed the Hokage hat and set it gently on the table. "First, I plan to send only two teams, so if worst comes to worst, Konoha would not suffer a great loss, except that we would hate to loose you."

Jiraiya snorted.

"Second," the Hokage continued. "The Uchiha clan would not object to my sending out a young, _female _member who had not yet awakened the Sharingan."

_Typical of them,_ thought Jiraiya.

"Third, the Hyuuga in the other genin team is from the branch family, meaning that even if Kumo gets its hands on the Byakugan, it would not be able to use it against us. Furthermore, he is the twin of the future heir to the Hyuuga clan, so he could fool Kumo into thinking that they have the Hyuuga leader in the palms of their hands."

"Are these your... _precautions_, or the Elders', sensei?" Jiraiya asked quietly.

The Hokage's hands froze around his pipe.

"You know me too well, Jiraiya," he said as he sighed and waved a hand in dismissal.

"I have a request, sensei," the white-haired shinobi ignored his teacher.

"Go on."

"I ask for a one-year leave to train my students."

"Reasonable request," the Hokage nodded. "I'll give you two months beforehand to make preparations and to inform your students' families. Then you are free to go."

"Hai," Jiraiya disappeared in a 'poof'.

* * *

"Father? _Onee-san_?" Mikazuki whispered. She cleared her throat and tried again, this time slightly louder. "Mikoto nee-san? I am home." She adjusted her forehead protector to make sure that it had hidden the scars around her neck.

A raw egg smashed into her face.

As egg yolk dripped down her face, she heard the laughter of a child and smiled. She smiled to herself as she wiped her face with her hand.

"You are not supposed to throw eggs at your aunt after she had just gotten back from a mission, Obito," she scolded.

A two-year-old came out from behind a pillar and stumbled towards her. She caught him just before he fell.

"Mikoto ba-san was mean…" he pouted. He had just started to from coherent words, and Mikazuki had a hard time understanding the gribberish. "She won't let me eat ice cream…"

Mikazuki poked his forehead. "Well, you are mean to throw eggs at me, Obito-chan."

He protested and squirmed in her arms.

A voice interrupted them. "Get back here this instant! Obito!!"

Obito froze.

A young woman in her early twenties walked slowly towards them. She was wearing black and white: widow colours.

Grimly, Mikazuki hid her left arm behind her back and rose to greet her sister-in-law.

"Reiko nee-san," she acknowledged her formally in a polite voice. Deep down, she was glad that Obito took after his father.

"Mi-ka-zu-ki," Reiko dragged out the syllables in her name. Like many other clan members, she did not approve of a girl becoming a shinobi.

"What brings you here?" Mikazuki ignored the obvious sneer in Reiko's voice

"Hatake Sakumo came by," she answered stiffly. "And wanted to visit Koushaku's family." Her eyes landed on Mikazuki's orange headband.

The tension seemed to increase.

A tug on her shirt made her look down. Obito was teary-eyed. "Kakashi was mean!! He called me a crybaby when he was the one who had made me cry!!"

"Kakashi?" Mikazuki asked. "Who is that?"

Unknown to her, Mikoto had crept up from behind. "You should have seen them together!!" she chirped as she pounced on her younger sister, making her gasp in shock. "They look so cute together!" She waved a camera. "I took pictures!!"

Mikazuki gasped for air. "But who exactly is Kakashi?" she asked again, exasperated.

"Sakumo's son," Mikoto let her sister go. "Same age as Obito."

* * *

After finally escaping from Mikoto's storm of questions, Mikazuki went upstairs. Quickly, she changed to a high-collared T-shirt and replaced her brother's orange headband with her forehead protector.

Gently, she placed the discarded headband and her brother's picture in her black chest.

Time to let go of the past.

Finding bandages from the medicine cabinet, she wrapped her left arm from her sleeve to her wrist.

Her family will not find out about the scars.

Ever.

* * *

Minato openned the front door and tip-toed in.

"Minato, is that you?" a voice came from the backyard.

Minato groaned. "How did you know it was me, ojii-san? And I worked so hard on stealth!"

The old man chuckled. "Only you would even try to hide your prescence in this shabby house, Minato." He put down the trowel and took off his gardening gloves. "Now come and help the old man weed the garden."

Minato bounced over, bad memories from the mission forgotten.

* * *

Uchiha Kei watched expressionlessly as a huge ball of fire lit up the pond. His daughter turned towards him, face kept carefully blank as leftover smoke escaped from her mouth.

Sighing, he placed a hand awkwardly on her head. "You are no longer a child," he said quietly as he turned and left.

Mikazuki stared after her father, openmouthed.

This was the first sign of real affection her father had shown her.

* * *

The next two months passed quickly.

The students, for their part, were entrusted with the task of taking their teacher to the hospital whenever Tsunade pounded him to a pulp.

They were tired of it.

Jiraiya, for his part, had the extreme pleasure of watching his students learn water-walking on the near-scalding water near the hot springs.

For revenge, his students sweet-talked him into teaching them the Kage Bunshin by agreeing to pretend not to notice when he peeked at the bathhouse. This brought down the wrath of the Hokage on their teacher.

Kage Bunshin is a forbidden technique, after all.

By taking on more C-ranked missions, the three of them increased their combat skills.

Minato increased his accuracy and speed, almost able to call upon his strange yellow chakra to aid his agility at will. The other two refined what elemental jutsu they know and increased the attack range. Mikazuki learned to focus her fire attacks on one point by directing them with oiled, heat-resistant string.

"Special thanks to the five-tails for the inspiration," she joked.

She never talked above a loud whisper again.

Except for once, when she had been really annoyed by one of their clients and told him to shut up, she spoke in a normal volume.

Minato had been excited, until she confessed to him that the effort was the same as yelling.

Anyways, by then, both Mikazuki and Hoshibiki had passed their eleventh birthday, promising the pouting Minato to treat him to dinner when his turn comes.

They were beginning to know each other well enough to register their feelings without being told. A single twitch or frown was all the other two needed to know to leave their brooding teammate alone.

* * *

Hoshibiki wrinkled his nose at his two teammates, who were standing knee-deep in mud. They had been commissioned to look for someone's keys.

He scoffed. _What kind of idiot looses his keys in a mud pond?_

"Do you guys mind if I sit this one out?" he asked without too much hope.

Surprisingly, his two friends shook their heads.

Jubilant, he turned around and missed the sly look exchanged between them.

"Hey, Hoshi-kun," Mikazuki said in an innocent voice.

He twitched at the nickname.

"I thought I told you not to call me that," he said as he turned around.

A handful of mud slammed into his face.

"Bull's eye," she grinned, already rolling another ball of mud between her hands.

Minato walked over and swung one muddy arm around his shoulders, ipretending to be oblivious to the flinch. "Just ignore her," he soothed as he removed his arm, leaving behind a huge stain.

Minato and Mikazuki laughed at his expression, then they stopped and backed away at the sight of Hoshibiki's smirk.

"I think you have forgotten that there is water in mud," he smiled evilly.

Horror coloured their faces.

"Uh...please don't do what I think you are going to do," Minato said with mock fear.

"_Suiton: Kiritori Shuuha!"_

The mud puddle exploded.

* * *

_One hour later..._

Jiraiya almost fell out of the tree he was standing on at the sight of three mud monsters walking toward him.

He laughed until he was pelted by a rain of mud balls, actually making him fall out of the tree this time.

Smirking, the mud monster led the three _mini_-monsters off to find Tsunade.

Let us just say that the result was not pretty.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_Somewhere deep in the Fire Country, away from all political cirsis..._

Jiraiya poked at the fire. Around him, his students sipped their bowls. They were going to llive here, in this cave, for one year. Their only companions would be each other, the mountains and rivers, and the sky.

Jiraiya thought that his students had come quite far psychologically. Minato was beginning to realize when to be serious, now that he had a dream to fulfill. Mikazuki, on the other hand, began to loosen up and not treat everything as a threat. Hoshibiki had changed the most, as he was beginning to appreciate teamwork and adjusting his attitudes toward his teammates.

Jiraiya was not worried about his students' ability to stand the spilling of blood, as they themselves had already done it.

However, if they were to survive in Kumo, they needed physical training.

A lot of it.

Ninja of Hidden Cloud are fierce, and certainly not merciful.

* * *

"Here is what is going to happen," Jiraiya said after they had finished eating.

"This is going to be solitary training based on each of your individual needs. I have brought many reference scrolls for different jutsu. I will split my time between you three. Since Minato has yet to determine his chakra affinity, I will start with him tomorrow."

He rummaged in his bag, and pulled out two scrolls, one red and one blue. He handed them to Mikazuki and Hoshibiki.

"Here are records of all the Katon and Suiton jutsu created," he told them. "The list increases as more are developed. Try some of the easier ones tomorrow while I am with Minato. I will check in with your progress later."

The two students nodded.

"For the first half of this year," Jiraiya continued. "We will be training during the day. For the later half, we will train at night. Once a month, you three will spar against me to boost teamwork."

Minato grumbled. "We never got to tie you to the post last time, sensei,"

Jiraiya pretended to have not heard him. "As for now, let us go to bed.

* * *

_With Minato, on the first day of training..._

"Now, first things first," Jiraiya said as he took out a sheet of paper. He and Minato were standing in a windy meadow surrounded by mountains. "Let us test your affinity. Draw out a little chakra and touch the paper."

Minato obeyed.

The paper crumpled.

"Lightning," Jiraiya said. _Thought so,_ Jiraiya cheered. _This may be the explaination for his hyper-activeness..._ "This is good. Raiton works well with both Katon and Suiton."

"Now what, sensei?" Minato asked as he looked at the paper.

"Now we do chakra nature manipulation, which is the hardest for lightning," Jiraiya chuckled evilly. "Earth and water require almost no nature manipulation, for users usually utilize already existing resources. Wind requires a little manipulation to move air into wind currents. Katon users react air with the chakra in their lungs to create fire. Finally, we get to lightning."

Jiraiya held up two fingers.

"People with lightning affinity have two types of chakra: positive and negative. Electric current is basically a flow of negative chakra. To use Raiton, the user has to draw out their chakra, separate the positive from the negative, and change the negative into a flowing electric current."

He looked at Minato, amused by his puzzled expression.

"How do I tell the negative from the positive?" he asked.

Jiraiya shrugged. "Based on your instinct, I guess."

He stared at him. "You _guess_?"

"I am not lightning affinity, so I don't know," Jiraiya informed him, savouring the look on Minato's face.

"Different people master it at different speeds. From this, you can show me whether you a prodigy or an idiot," Jiraiya teased.

"Let us get started then," Minato said confidently as chakra began to accumulate in his hands. _I must catch up to Zuki and Hoshibiki._

_This is going to take a while,_ Jiraiya thought dully. _That is, if he is not a prodigy_. He thought back to the time when he first met his students, and Minato's strange yellow chakra. _Which I doubt._

_-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

A huge flash of light lit up half of the sky. Mikazuki looked at it and frowned.

_No sign of rain,_ she thought. Then she shrugged and went back to her scroll.

"Channel fire through areas other than the mouth?!" she stared. "Won't I burn myself?"

"Don't you burn your throat anyways?" Hoshibiki retorted flatly without looking up from his scroll. A swishing sound was heard as he slowly went through the seals for one of the water techniques.

The sun was setting when Jiraiya returned with Minato.

Mikazuki and Hoshibiki looked up, and bursted out laughing.

Minato grinned as the other two looked at their teacher from head to toe.

Jiraiya's long white hair was burned to cinders, and he looked singed.

"Minato," he coughed, and smoke came out of his mouth and ears. "While I am with Mikazuki tomorrow, _**YOU**_ WORK ON YOUR CONTROL!" He ignored the supressed giggles. "Contain the lighting in your hands, not let it loose to create a thunderstorm!!"

"Hai, hai, sensei," Minato answered as he and the other two once again started laughing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Now," Jiraiya said as he and Mikazuki stood face-to-face on the surface of a lake. Waterfalls surrounded the valley and dampened their clothes with sprays of water.

"I have chosen this place to train you," he told her. "Because you have to exert a constant amount of chakra to stay on top of the water. This would help increase your chakra capacity. Tell me, what is the enemy of fire?"

"Water," she answered.

Jiraiya grinned. "Exactly. Practicing Katon jutsu here would increase their strength, as you have to make the fire burn in wet conditions. After this training, your fire should multiply in intensity when we return to dry conditions."

He looked at her seriously. "The reason why we hardly ever send shinobi with fire affinity to wet countries is because they are unable to reach their full potential while there. By using this training method, you can overcome this problem."

She nodded.

"But the biggest problem with you is not ninjutsu, especially since you will eventually have the Sharingan," Jiraiya continued. "IYour biggest weakness is taijutsu. Besides the problem with your ankle, you do not have the endurance or the strength to rely on taijutsu for combat, yet it is vital that you are able to defend yourself in case the enemy does not give you time to execute ninjutsu."

He extended his arms out.

"I am going to teach you a type of taijutsu," he said. "It imitates the movement of water, or snakes, if you prefer."

She shudders. "I prefer water, sensei."

Jiraiya smiled. "Thought so. With this style, instead of countering strength with strength, you are to avoid the direct onslaught, find the right points, and turn their strength against them. It is the best style for you, as you already have the natural flexibility needed for it. Now,"

He made a stance.

"Let us begin."

* * *

"As for you," Jiraiya said to Hoshibiki. "Your goal is to cut through earth with water."

Hoshibiki stared at his teacher. "Earth has a natural advantage over water, sensei," he said flatly.

"This is why you are going to overcome it. The second Hokage succeeded. You can too."

He drew a diagram in the earth.

"You have to examine the weak support points in the earth. Then, your water attacks has to center on those points. You have seen drips of water bore through rocks, have you not?"

Mutely, Hoshibiki nodded.

"Well then, there is no need for more excuses," Jiraiya said. "Besides that, I want you to start extracting you secondary affinity, as you have the most chakra out of the three of you."

Hoshibiki stared at his teacher, openmouthed. _This is hellish training_, he thought.

Jiraiya wasn't finished.

"Since you have a large supply of chakra and precise control to go with it," he said, dumping a mountain of scrolls on him. "You are going to be our medical expert. These are books on human anatomy. Get started on memorizing all those medical terms."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

It was like that for the rest of the year. When Jiraiya was not with them, they trained by themselves based on what he had taught them the lesson before. Every night, they crawled to bed, too exhausted to care about the simple food and uncomfortable floor.

It got worse when night-training started. To counter an enemy when you can barely see your surroundings is worse than hell.

Winter was the worst. The constant rain did nothing to help them stay warm.

And dry.

Jiraiya urged them on, eliminating their last traces of pickiness.

They had to endure.

They _must._

If they want to live.

* * *

**"Finished reminiscing yet?" the Shinigami laughs.**

**I stare at it.**

**"No," I tell him.**

**He shakes his head as he opens a white portal.**

**"You have no sense of humour whatsoever," he says. "Here is the entrance to Oblivion. You will not vanish immediately. You will slowly fade out of existence."**

**"And how long will that take?" I demand.**

**It shrugs. "Depends on the person. If you change your mind, another soul would be able to call you back. That is, _if _you had not completely vanished."**

**I scoff.**

**Then I step through the swirling white opening**.

* * *

**A/N: **Those of you who have learned highschool physics will probaly have understood my explanation for lightning manipulation. I just thought back to Grade 10 science, how lightning is a discharge of negative particles attracted by the induced positive charges on the ground...(looks around) Do...you guys get what I am saying? Hehe.

Sorry guys. This is the last time I update before summer school starts. My parents want me to graduate highschool a year early, so I have to take grade 11 courses during the summer to make room in grade 11 for grade 12 courses...(twitch). From here on, I will update about once a week. I can't guarantee that it will always be on the same day. I will try. Thank you, everyone. I promise you, this story will not be discarded.

If there is not going to be a chapter one week thanks to my teachers' overload of homework, I will specify in my profile. Thanks.

**Another PM question that I have received:**

Question: Did you modify Mikazuki's personality after yourself? Most authors of OCs do that.

Answer: Uh...no, actually. Mikazuki and I are quite different, though we are similar in the action of twitching...XD. I guess some aspects of all the characters in this story refect some part of me.

_**If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. Specify in PM if you would like a private reply.**_

**Next Chapter- **Opal: Slashing Lightning, Hidden Clouds (The 's' is not an accident!!)

Whoot!! July 1st is Canada Day!!


	12. Opal: Slashing Lightning, Hidden Clouds

A/N: Weekend!! Long time no see. I swear that summer school is killing me.

I debated a long time over whether Minato or Mikazuki should be the one to first show how much stronger they have become. In the end, I chose Mikazuki, for I want to save Minato as a surprise for later, in the chunin exams.

You have probably noticed that I changed the title. Well, this is because I am planning to end this story right after they become chunin. Then, I will continue their lives in another story, this time with Minato and Kushina as the central focus. Please check out my profile for more details.

Enjoy.

* * *

_Chapter 11 – Opal: Slashing Lightning, Hidden Clouds_

* * *

It was dark. A gentle rain splattered on the trees, swaying the leaves back and forth. Three figures sloshed through the puddles on the ground. They seemed to be part of the shadows.

"Position: 10 metres to the east," a voice crackled over their earphones.

"Position, 6.5 metres to the south," another voice said.

"Good," a third voice replied. "What is the target's location?"

The first voice spoke up. "7.5 metres northeast."

"OK," the third voice answered calmly. "Continue to move in. Attack without mercy once I give the signal."

"Hai," the feminine voice said.

"Understood," the male voice answered.

The shadows spread themselves around the lake, surveying the figure standing on the water.

One raised his arm, paused to gain the other two's attention, and then suddenly, he flicked his wrist forward, pointing his index and middle fingers toward the lake.

Lightning illuminated the faces of the three shadows as they sprang upon the figure on the lake.

* * *

"Not bad," Jiraiya looked at his students, who were on their knees panting.

Back in their cave, he lit a fire to dry their clothes.

Minato extended his hands gratefully towards the fire, embracing the warmth.

Jiraiya observed them through half-closed eyelids. "You took out my shadow clone within half an hour this time," he said lazily.

"But it is only a shadow clone!" the blonde boy protested. "It should only take…like…a minute at the most!!"

Extending his arm, Jiraiya locked the blonde in a headlock and ruffled his hair. "Well, your opponent _is_—"

"The great sanin, Jiraiya-sama," Mikazuki and Hoshibiki finished in unison. "We _know_. Sensei, you say that every time you kicked our asses."

"Not for long, though," Jiraiya chuckled. "One day you guys will be kicking _my_ ass."

Minato grinned. "That day may the next new moon, next month."

Mikazuki groaned. "You say that _every _month, Minato. That day will never come."

"Oh?" Jiraiya was amused. Ignoring Mikazuki, he rustled in his bag. "Now, who wants candy?"

He was met with silence as his students blinked at him.

"Didn't you say that candy hinders the development of our shinobi skills?" Mikazuki asked, confused.

Jiraiya ripped off the wrapping and bit into the chocolate bar.

"I lied," he mumbled, clearly enjoying the expressions on their faces.

"Sensei!!"

* * *

Three young shinobi walked down the quiet streets of Konoha.

"Aw man!!" one of them complained. "I still can't believe that you are the only one who passed the chunin exam in Kiri!!"

The black-haired boy beside him yawned. "Not my fault if you are extremely weak, Inoichi."

"I am not weak!!" the other boy retorted. "I used to be able to beat the Uchiha in taijutsu spars!!"

"Ahem, keyword, _'used to_,'" another boy spoke up. He was more heavily built than his teammates.

"Speaking of whom," the black-haired boy yawned. "Her team should be coming back from their year-long training today."

"Really?"

Inoichi thought for a moment. "Let us go to the gates!! I want to challenge one of them to a spar!! Preferably Mikazuki." He looked at his companions. "Once I beat her, you won't call me weak."

"Right. Beating a girl, sure," Shikaku yawned, again.

"Hey, she is an Uchiha," Chouza said as he watched Inoichi walk ahead of them. "That makes up for everything."

Shikaku shook his head. As far as he is concerned, an Uchiha won't stay weak for long, especially when trained by a sanin.

But, if Inoichi wanted to learn that the hard way, Shikaku won't stop him.

He hid a smile.

This could be interesting.

* * *

"Kakashi!! Wait up!!"

A silver blur ran past the four travel-weary shinobi, laughing. The four-year-old was dressed maturely for his age, in black and grey.

Mikazuki tilted her head to get a better look at the back of the four-year-old. _So __**tha**__t is Sakumo's son, _she thought, biting her lower lip. _He doesn't act like his father at all._

"Oof!!" A thump made her turn around. A black-haired boy had crashed into Minato, who was also staring after Kakashi and didn't see him coming.

Jiraiya shook his head, disappointed. "You should have sensed him coming, Minato. A shinobi never lets his guard down."

"Yeah, yeah," Minato grumbled. He extended a hand to the boy and helped him get to his feet.

As soon as he did, Minato regretted it.

The boy stared at him with sparkles in his eyes, which were set below astonishingly thick eyebrows.

"Thank you!! Thank you!! Sir!!" the kid chirped. "My name is Gai, and the one who just ran past and rudely disturbed your conversation is my eternal rival!!"

There was a slight pause.

"We weren't talking," Minato replied.

Gai seemed disappointed. "Oh," he bowed. "Just keep in mind that he is a troublemaker!!"

He left them, running after Kakashi and shouting incoherent phrases.

"Ne?" Minato asked, confused. "What is he saying?"

Beside him, Hoshibiki shrugged. "Something along the lines of "eternal" and "youth" and "get back here,"" he said disinterestedly.

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows. "Interesting kid," he mumbled. Then, he smiled slyly. The Academy kids being taught now will eventually be taught by Minato's generation.

_I would love to see them trying to teach Gai,_ he thought, chuckling. _Or, at least, **try to**._

Unknown to him, his expression had sent shivers run down his students' spines.

"I think he is thinking of new ways to torture us," Minato whispered to the other two.

"As long as he doesn't make us jump into icy water in the middle of winter, I am fine with it," Hoshibiki answered.

"Are you serious?" Mikazuki stared at him. "You don't mind anything else?"

"What about the time he made us climb trees by stepping on the blades of kunai? Without sandals?" Minato reminded him. "I couldn't walk properly afterwards for_ four_ days!"

"Hold on a sec," Mikazuki interrupted. "Didn't you notice anything queer?"

Hoshibiki and Minato looked around, bewildered.

The trees were still green.

The sky was still blue.

Their teacher was still in an unresponsive state with no sign of breaking out of his reverie.

Minato raised his hand, as if responding to a teacher. "Queer, as in the weird practices of training we had to go through, yes."

"No, you idiot," Mikazuki really wished that she could yell. "I mean about Kakashi and Gai. Something is strange about them, but I can't place my finger on it."

"You mean their strange relationship? With youth and all?" suggested Hoshibiki.

She shook her head. "I felt it first with Kakashi, when he ran past us, then with Gai, when he left ..."

"When they left?" pondered Minato.

They thought in silence for a while.

"Their speed!!" they realized in unison.

In a flash, Minato was in front of Jiraiya. "Sensei?" he waved a hand in front of his teacher. "We have a question."

A pat on his shoulder made him turn around and a thick branch was shoved into his face.

"Use this," Hoshibiki said flatly. "I gave up trying to get his attention that way a long time ago."

Staring at the branch, Minato smirked. "You two will have to accept responsibility for this later too," he said, without turning around.

"Hai, hai, of course."

He brought his arms up…

…and slammed the branch into the back of their teacher's head.

_Poof._

Before they could even say comprehend their mistake, Jiraiya had reappeared behind them, and grabbed the two boys by the back of their shirts.

"Sneaking up on me, eh?" he lifted his captives off of the ground, ignoring the protests. "You are only supposed to do that to someone caught in a genjutsu."

"We_ thought_ you were," Mikazuki muttered. "Spacing out like that."

Grinning, Jiraiya let Minato and Hoshibiki go, dropping them like sacks of groceries.

"So what is this about a question?" he dusted himself.

"About the two kids' speed," Minato got straight to the point. "Are they already in Academy?"

Jiraiya froze. He had hoped that his students won't notice.

"I am afraid so," he told his students solemnly. "The Konoha Council removed the restriction on a child's minimum age when introduced to shinobi world. Now, any potential children, no matter how young, could enter and graduate the Academy."

"Why are they doing this?" Minato asked, eyes serious.

_Uh-oh,_ Jiraiya thought. _I don't want to tell them that there is going to be war._ _At least not yet._

"Uh…." he began, uncertainly.

Luckily, he was saved.

"Hey!!" a distant voice yelled. "I challenge one of you to a spar!!"

Inoichi appeared into view, panting as he got nearer.

The three genin turned to their teacher simultaneously, as if pulled by a cord.

_I love having authority_, Jiraiya mused. He cleared the tiny voice in his head that reminded him of how he did not want to teach any students.

"Go ahead," he told them. "You have never sparred amongst yourselves, so might as well accept his challenge."

His voice lowered. "After all, most people at the exam will be you age, and they won't hesitate to kill you."

They nodded.

Minato stepped forward, but was stopped by Mikazuki, who held him back with her arm.

"I'll do it," she said. Minato was about to protest, but changed his mind when she glared at him.

"It is time to settle the old scores between us. So don't interfere, Minato."

Inoichi smiled to himself. _Perfect._

The two of the confronted each other, standing face-to-face.

"No ninjutsu or any other techniques," he told her. "Just taijutsu. No weapons. Whoever gets knocked to the ground first loses."

She smiled innocently at him, flexing her hands. "Afraid of being burned?"

As a reply, a punch was thrown at her face. She dodged, locking his arm with her own.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She slid her hands down his arm. Utilizing his own momentum, she twisted his arm behind his back.

He yanked out of her hold.

"Still no strength in you arms, I see," he said as he attacked again.

* * *

_Sinuously twisted the snake. _

_Ferociously pounced the tiger. _

_One is born of speed and grace,_

_And the other of undeterred strength._

_Two cannot share common ground._

_Co-existence can never be found._

_A rivalry from several years prior,_

_End this year, this day, this hour._

* * *

Mikazuki dodged, escaping the full brunt of the attack. Her eyes studied his moves, striking at him suddenly and silently. Seizing an opportunity, she lashed at his leg, making him fall forward. Quickly, she let his arms slid past her, grabbed them, and tried to flip him onto his back.

But Inoichi was fast too. As he fell, he twisted around and caught her on the side of her face with his foot.

She leaned sideways, to lessen the impact. Stepping back a few steps, she regained her balance.

Her opponent scoffed. _Still relying only on her arms._

_In that case…_

He aimed a kick at her right ankle.

Events escalated quickly after that.

Instantly shifting her entire weight onto her left leg, Mikazuki bent her other leg back to avoid the full impact. Using the momentum, she spun around on her left foot, and used the right to hit the back of Inoichi's neck.

She followed him to the ground, foot still connected with his skin. Bending down on one knee, she pulled on his ponytail. "Guess I win," she panted heavily.

"Let us go report in to the Hokage," Jiraiya told his students as Mikazuki dusted herself off and stood up. "We set out for Kumokakure tomorrow."

"Hai," the three genin answered.

"By the way, Mikazuki," Jiraiya said as they walked. "You need more ferocity when you attack, and not just subtlety."

He grinned.

"And we need to work on endurance. 1000 laps tomorrow morning before setting off, meet me at the memorial stone at 4'o clock sharp!"

"WHAT!!"

Their voice faded off into the distance.

* * *

Slowly, Inoichi stood up, feeling the bruise on his neck. "They didn't even stop to think if they had forgotten something," he complained aloud.

Then he examined himself more closely.

"And she messed up my hair!!"

His voice echoed in the surrounding forest, sending flocks of birds flying.

* * *

"So, you are going to Kumo," a man said, voice devoid of emotion.

Hoshibiki bowed his head. "Hai, _Oto-san._"

The man smiled, though the expression never reached his eyes.

"Remember the ways of the Hidden Mist," he said, placing a hand on his son's head. "Have no mercy even if it means you end up fighting your teammates. If they are in the way of your becoming chunin, kill them."

* * *

Obito fiddle with his chopsticks, irritated.

"Ojii-san!! Why can't I attend the Academy_ now_?"

Uchiha Kei placed down his chopsticks as his daughters stared at Obito.

"Kakashi is!!" Obito protested in response to the silence.

Reiko hushed him. "Kakashi is a prodigy," she said severely. "_You_ are not."

Mikoto gave her a pointed look, to which Reiko ignored.

The rest of the meal passed in silence until Obito dropped his bowl, sending splinters flying across the floor.

* * *

"Hey Zuki!!" Mikoto gestured to her sister.

"Hmm?" Mikazuki answered as she sipped her cup of tea.

They were sitting on the back porch, watching the sunset.

Mikoto flashed a ring at her sister excitedly. "I am engaged."

Mikazuki choked and spat out the tea. Her sister patted her on the back cheerfully as she coughed.

"Sorry," Mikoto smiled.

An evil smile.

"You did that on purpose!!" After catching her breath, she turned to face her sister seriously. "To _whom_?"

"Fugaku," Mikoto looked down.

"What?!" Mikazuki stood up suddenly, enraged. "That jerk?"

Mikoto laughed at her sister's reaction. _She is still like a child_, she mused.

"He is not t_hat_ bad," she tried to reassure Mikazuki. Then, seeing the younger sibling's disbelieving look, she sighed. "I mean, it could be worse. Besides, I have no say in this matter. Father kept reminding me that it is a privilege to be married to the future heir of the clan, considering that I am a mixed blood."

Mikazuki snorted. "If he makes you cry, he better watch out. I will beat him senseless."

Mikoto laughed as she patted Mikazuki's head. "You better not say that in front of anyone else," she warned playfully. "They will send you to the clan temple for discipline. Besides, since when did you stop hiding behind you onee-san?" she teased. "Besides, he is stronger than you."

"For _now_," Mikazuki muttered. "With his oh-so-powerful Sharingan. Sure. When is the wedding?"

"As soon as I am eighteen," Mikoto stared into her cup, lost in thought. "The typical age for a girl born to this clan."

"Fugaku is ooooooold." Mikazuki grumbled, emphasizing the first syllable.

"Zuki, he is the same age as me," Mikoto frowned. "Does that mean I am old as well?"

She smirked as her sister panicked.

"No! Of course not!! Onee-san," Mikazuki ranted. "I mean, you _are_ older than me but that doesn't mean that you are old. I am just saying that he _looks_ old and that…"

Mikoto smiled. Her sister was still the same as before.

Shinobi world didn't change her.

At least not yet.

* * *

"Ehhhhhhhhhh?" A voice questioned, bewildered.

"Hyuuga is not coming?" Another voice joined in.

"Why?" The final voice asked.

Jiraiya looked from one face to another.

"His clan forbids it," he answered, uncertain how else to put it. "It seems to be even stricter than yours, Mikazuki."

* * *

Four shinobi breathed hard as they climbed the mountain on which Kumo's shinobi centre is located. Hidden Cloud is composed of a collection of mountains, connected by wooden suspension bridges. Shrouded by clouds, its situation is easy to defend against invaders.

The air gradually becomes thin as the amount of oxygen decreased.

"No wonder Kumo ninja have such high stamina," the teacher muttered, more to himself than his students. "They have developed large lung capacities from growing up in such an area."

His students nodded, too breathless to reply.

As they trekked through the pine needles, the teacher sensed four thin traces of chakra.

He raised his arm.

Nodding, his students melted into the trees.

Studying the approaching presences, the jounin frowned. One source of chakra was very dominating: a formidable opponent if he decided to attack.

Making his decision to hide instead of fight, the jounin joined his students.

Soon, four figures arrived at where they had been before: a jounin with three genin.

The girl, sitting the highest on the tree they had concealed themselves in, breathed a sigh. "Why did we need to hide, sensei?" she asked, non-too-quietly.

A low growl erupted from the jounin's throat as he studied the newcomers.

"Look at their forehead protectors," he told his students, while giving her a glare.

With their teacher in such a mood, they obeyed wordlessly.

"_Konoha_," the red-haired girl gasped while her brother clenched a kunai, his eyes narrowed.

* * *

A/N: ARGH!! This chapter sucked!! Feel free to flame or whatever, I will understand. It helps me to improve. After all, I am here to learn.

That is it for now. XD Hope to see you soon.

Next Chapter – Bloodstone: Spirals and Leaves


	13. Bloodstone: Leaves and Spirals

_

* * *

_

Chapter 12 – Bloodstone: Leaves and Spirals

* * *

"There is something you should know," Jiraiya told his three students and was oblivious to the four presences among the pine trees.

Kumo's gates loomed over them and was installed between two sheer cliffs.

"It is about Hidden Whirlpool."

"Where is that?" Minato asked, confused. "I have never heard of that village."

"That is because it is forbidden to utter that name in Konoha," Jiraiya informed them as he showed the guards Kumo's chunin exam invitation.

Nodding, they swung the gates open.

The three genin walked in silence on the busy streets, letting what Jiraiya had said sank in.

A thin cluster of houses gathered itself around the Raikage building. The rooftops were a dull blue. Most of the residential houses were located on other mountaintops, with this one the village centre.

Most of the busy workers gave them a sideways stare before hurrying indoors. Business doors slammed as Jiraiya and his students approached.

There was no shinobi in sight except for the ones at the gate.

Mikazuki raised her eyebrows as she passed a group of middle-aged women.

"Konoha," one whispered non-too-quietly, pointing to her and her teammates.

"What are _they_ doing here?" another said spitefully.

The first speaker pulled her child closer towards her as the Konoha-nin approached.

"I don't know what the Raikage is thinking, inviting them," a new voice spoke up, glaring at Minato, who was too intrigued by the insignia of a weapons store to notice.

"Oh well," the woman with the child cut in. "We won't be seeing Konoha-nin for long. From what I heard, Raikage-sama is going to-- "

Her companion quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, gesturing toward Mikazuki.

The three of them hurried into their houses, dragging the child with them.

The black-haired girl remained standing there, puzzled.

_Going to __**what**__? _she wondered.

* * *

"The Uzumaki clan used to live in the Fire country," Jiraiya began as they were led to a hotel reserved for examinees. Their guide was a sombre man, whose face had been hardened by years of steering the winds of commerce. "Just like Konoha's other clans, they have their own skills and techniques which they never teach to others."

"Their most notable trait, however, is probably their high chakra capacities."

Jiraiya took out the key give to them by the manager had given them and opened the door. The living room composed of a set of couches, a coffee table, and a few chairs. From it led to four different bedrooms, each with its own washroom.

"Nice," Minato commented without too much enthusiasm.

"Compared to our year of sleeping in a cave, of course," Hoshibiki said blankly as he studied the peeling paint on the walls.

"I was being polite!"

"And I was being sarcastic."

Jiraiya sighed as he sank into a couch, rubbing his forehead.

"Ignore the idiots and continue, _please_," Mikazuki quickly cut in before the boys get into another argument or her teacher snaps. She doesn't know which one is worse.

And she does not wish to find out.

"Many years ago," Jiraiya went back to his story as he closed his eyes. "The Uchiha and the Senju signed a contract and formed the first shinobi village. Soon, all the other clans in the country joined due to the threat poised by that alliance."

Quietly, his students sat down on around him to listen.

"All of them, that is, but for the Uzumaki clan."

"Why not?"

Jiraiya twitched as he was interrupted, again. A smile tugged at his lips as he heard a smack followed by a whimper of pain.

"They are a water-based clan, which in itself is not good news for those who live in the Fire country. As you know, water is the enemy of fire. Furthermore, a rumour was spread about them, saying how they will bring down the newly-formed Konoha because they are more closely related to the Water country than Fire."

"Their distinction from the rest made them demand special status for themselves, which myself do not find unreasonable, as they will be assimilated into a village that does not suit their way of life."

In one quick motion, Jiraiya snatched his backpack and took out a map before his students even blinked. Spreading it out on the table, he pointed first to the Fire country, then to a small area of land northeast on the coast of the ocean."

"Their differentiating culture, clothing, and language caused them to be discriminated against and to be despised by most of the people in Konoha. Some, such as the Uchiha clan, even threatened defection from Konoha if the Uzumaki joined."

Near him, Mikazuki shifted uncomfortably.

"Despite the policy set by the First Hokage, they were treated unjustly. For example, they received lower pay than other people who did the same type of mission due to their "peculiar style of combat and ninja techniques,"" Jiraiya said, curling two fingers to indicate the quote.

"Before a month of the experimental union was over, the Uzumaki clan had had enough. Can't say I blame them. They left for their original home."

"However, more trouble awaited that clan. The confederation of the tribes in the Fire country proved to be more successful than anyone had hoped. More commissions were sent to Konoha than ever before, when its members were still independent. While Konoha flourished, the Uzumaki suffered as their economy crashed."

"Out of feelings of bitter resentment, they attacked Konoha, and nearly wiped out one of its clans."

Here, Jiraiya stopped and glanced sideways at Minato, who was listening to the story with his eyes closed.

Sudden realization struck Mikazuki as Jiraiya gently shook his head.

She glanced at Hoshibiki and noticed that he, too, had realized the same thing.

_Namikaze._

So this is why Minato's family had no family-inherited techniques, even when his father was a shinobi.

So this is why Minato and his grandfather were the only ones left in their family.

He was not from a civilian heritage, proved by the fact that he learned shinobi skills so quickly.

He was from one of the founder clans of Konoha.

The clan that was wiped out.

By Uzumaki.

And had become disgraced in the eyes of not only the Uchiha and Hyuuga, but the entire Konoha village.

So disgraced, that they were remembered as civilians, not as true shinobi.

Seeing the looks on two of his students' face, Jiraiya paled. Quickly, he put a finger to his lips.

_Not now_, he mouthed.

The two nodded, still unsettled by the fact and was staring at their blonde teammate with mixed expressions.

"Eh?" Minato, noticing the sudden silence, opened his eyes and sat up. "Why did you stop, sensei?" he asked, head tilted.

Jiraiya waved him off. "Just a bit thirsty." To prove this fact, he quickly retrieved his water bottle from his backpack.

"Now, where was I?" he asked after taking a gulp of water. "Ah yes," he said, screwing the cap of the bottle back on. "As you have probably guessed, the Uzumaki was defeated. They were driven to a small island east of the Fire Country."

Jiraiya pointed to a small island drawn between the Mainland and the Water Country.

"To obtain that clan for their high levels of chakra and stamina, the shodaime gifted them with the most powerful tailed beast in his collection and added their crest to all jounin and chunin uniforms."

Turning around, he showed his students the red spiral.

"However, the Uzumaki are as clever as they are stubborn. They figured out the true reasons for the gifts. Realizing that the seven-tails was controlled to cut off their route to the Water country, they rejected Konoha's offer."

"One of the Shodaime's policies was most well-known at this time. He said: "If cannot be used by Konoha, then might as well destroy it so it cannot be used against.""

"Then, Konoha banned them from attending any of the chunin exams held in the Fire Country, hoping to drain their military power."

"However, they did not break. They found more freedom than they could eve have had they stayed in Hidden Leaf. Founding their own village, they offered protection to all rogue ninja who survived the journey to their island. Gradually, their fighting styles became a blend of all the characteristics of the five elements, not just water. They have become a true whirlpool."

Jiraiya finished and sat back against the couch once more. "Well, what do you think?" he asked his students.

"Why are you telling us this, sensei?" Hoshibiki was the first to speak up. His face was serious. "Why are you risking yourself to tell us something that is forbidden?"

Rolling his eyes, Jiraiya took another sip of water. "Hey, you are at risk now too, now that you know the story. Congrats."

"No, sensei, _seriously_," Minato intercepted.

"Two reasons," Jiraiya held out two fingers. "First, I wanted you to know the truth, in case someone else tells you a twisted version later on."

He set down the cup he had emptied down on the coffee table, hard. The motion made his students jump slightly.

"Most importantly, according to my resources, three whirlpool genin will be present in this exam, two of whom belonging to the original Uzumaki clan."

Horrifying realization dawned on his three students.

"We are dead," Mikazuki muttered.

"So very dead," Minato agreed.

Jiraiya shook his head. _They still manage to have a sense of humour in this kind of situation,_ he thought glumly. _I really hope that they won't do anything stupid._

Something, however, told him that they definitely will.

Standing up, Jiraiya stretched his arms. "Let's rest now. We have a long day tomorrow."

The three genin nodded as they proceeded towards separate rooms. As the doors closed, Jiraiya added one final piece of advice, given from teacher to student.

"Beware of them, for the hatred between our country and their runs deep."

The doors paused, and then closed with soft clicks.

* * *

A/N: What do you think of the history lesson? XD


	14. Sapphire: Encounter

* * *

_Chapter 13 – Sapphire: Encounter_

* * *

Kushina forced the doors open with a loud 'bang.'

"Damn!" she yelled, getting a few looks from the ninja sitting closest to the door. She just gave them a dirty look in response.

Her teammates sighed as they followed after her, smiling apologetically at the ninja offeneded by Kushina.

"For god's sake, don't attract so much attention!" the blue-haired boy, Sairyu, groaned, unnerved by the looks other ninja in the room were giving them.

Uzumaki Kyo, the oldest of them, placed a hand on Sairyu's shoulder.

"Let her be," he said, shaking his head.

Sairyu sighed.

"There they are," Kushina told them in a low voice, pointing.

Her companions followed her gaze.

In the innermost corner sat the three Konoha genin.

Two of them sat facing the wall, so they cannot see their faces. The one sitting alone on the other side was a black-haired boy with delicate features.

His black eyes glittered with wicked satisfaction as he smirked, watching the brown-haired boy across from him bangs his head on the table as the final member of the group, a blonde, threw his head back and laughed.

Kushina frowned at the hair colour, squinting. _Too yellow_, she thought.

"That colour doesn't seem natural," she said, careful to use their home language to avoid being eavesdropped.

"We shouldn't be the ones talking," Sairyu replied in the same dialect. "I mean, look at our hair."

Kushina snorted in response before turning her attention back to the three genin, all of whom clad entirely in black.

Their forehead protectors, each worn in a unique way, shined as if newly minted.

"Hm, black," Kushina commented. "Not much fashion sense."

Her brother, shaking his head, ushered his team members towards an emptry table. "Try to _behave_ yourself, little sister," he said seriously.

"Our orders are to go back _alive_."

* * *

"They are behind you," Mikazuki told her teammates, her eyes locked on the three Whirlpool ninja.

Minato and Hoshibiki immediately froze.

"What do they look like?" Minato asked. "Sensei told us that they have four arms and three heads."

"And only you would believe him," Hoshibiki retorted, watching Mikazuki's expression carefully as she leaned back against the wall.

Mikazuki clasped her hands under her chin as she studied the Whirlpool shinobi.

"Two boys and one girl," she told her audience.

Kushina sighed. _Finally, someone who can actually tell that I am a girl,_ she thought dully, remembering the troubles she has had due to the stupidity of certain people.

"The girl is a tomboy."

Kushina immediately stiffened, back straightening. Beside her, her brother placed a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from standing up.

Mikazuki smiled as the Kushina flinched at what she said.

"How could you tell?" Minato asked, not daring to look back.

"Short, messy, red hair, sea-blue eyes, boyish attire." Black eyes travelled over Kushina, noting every detail. "The reason I could tell that she is a girl is because her chest is—" Mikazuki broke off, noticing Minato's expression.

"Minato, why are you blushing?" she tilted her head.

"I am not!" Minato protested, but then gave in to two pairs of scrutinizing stares. "Fine, I was," he admitted. "But it is because what you have said sound like something sensei wrote!!"

Mikazuki glared. "It is not my fault that you are such a coward to look for yourself. She has pretty big—"

The red-haired girl slammed her hand down on the table as a torrent of words came from her.

One of her companions, also with red hair, spoke in a soothing voice, calming the girl down. She returned to her seat, glaring at Mikazuki, who merely smirked.

"She is calling me a pervert," Mikazuki informed the other two, who stared at her incredulously as all three Whirlpool ninja flinched.

"You understood what they said?" asked Minato, disbelievingly. "All I hear is a jumble of trilled 'r's."

"No," Mikazuki answered simply. "Most girls would react that way when someone comments on their—"

"I don't need to hear that last word," interrupted Minato, blocking his ears.

"Fine," Mikazuki rolled her eyes. This was the third time she was interrupted. "However, by inferring her reaction to what I have said, it is likely that she thought that I am a boy, therefore, calling me a pervert."

A gasp came from the table behind them, followed by the sound off a chair crashing to the ground.

"Yup, they definitely did," Hoshibiki nodded, as Minato started laughing at prospect of a girl calling another girl 'pervert'.

In any case, the two groups of genin are already off to a bad start.

* * *

"Welcome to Kumogakure's Chunin exam!"

A middle-aged jounin, flanked by twenty Kumo chunin, greeted the examinees.

He consulted his list, running a finger down the paper. "Three teams from Hidden Sand. Two teams from Hidden Waterfall. Five teams from Hidden Mist. Five teams from this village. Two teams from Hidden Stone. One each from Hidden Grass and Hidden Whirlpool."

"And one from Hidden Leaf."

The examiner's eyes glittered with malice as he looked at Minato's team.

"I thought Konoha would send more teams than this," he snickered. "Or is it not as strong as it used to be?"

The chunin accompanying him chuckled.

"Thinking about the glorious time of the Shodaime Hokage makes me wonder what has made Konoha fall below Kumo in military power," he snickered. "Pathetic."

Minato stood up calmly, followed by his teammates. He was barely up to the examiner's shoulders, yet he looked him in the eyes.

"Funny," he commented, more to his team than the examiner. "I wonder what kind of village is this to send a second-class examiner to a Chunin Examination. No wonder the Hyuuga don't want to come."

"The Hyuuga are not here?" the jounin asked sharply. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

"No," Minato was unfazed. "Perhaps if you had sent an invitation instead of an order, they would have come."

His next words brought gasps from the audience, while his teammates wondered if he had lost his sanity, provoking an elite jounin in his own village.

"Kumo has no right to threaten one of the five shinobi nations," Minato stated. "And Konoha is on equal terms with your village in both military and economic power, and will get stronger."

The examiner suddenly appeared before Minato, who, surprised at his speed, took a step back instinctively.

_Mistake._

The examiner smiled at this evidence of the genin's lack of confidence.

"Unless you want to start war," he told Minato coldly. "I suggest you take back what you have said."

"No," Minato said defiantly. "Who are you to order me around, when you are not the real examiner?"

The jounin blinked, shocked by the sudden turn in conversation.

"How?"

Minato smiled. "First, by what I have noticed before entering this room."

* * *

_Flashback…_

"_Hurry up, Minato," Mikazuki gestured, motioning towards the heavy double doors. _

"_Right," Minato answered, his eyes instead focusing on two figures near the wall._

"_There is going to a preliminary test, ordered by Tomoe-sama herself," one of them, a chunin, whispered to his companion._

"_Tomoe-sama?" the other asked. "Isn't she the exam—?"_

_The first chunin covered the other's mouth, nodding towards the approaching genin. "Shh."_

* * *

"Of course," Minato explained. "I couldn't be sure with such a vague piece of information, yet you helped me confirm it."

_

* * *

_

Flashback…

"_Welcome to Kumogakure's Chunin exam!" A middle-aged jounin, flanked by twenty Kumo chunin, greeted the examinees._

_Minato raised his eyebrows at such an extraordinary ranking system. _

_From what he had learned, the higher the rank, the further they are from the front of the squad to ensure the necessary protection. Therefore, why is an examiner whose rank is clearly the highest during chunin exams walking at the front? Especially when a foreign assassin could easily merge with examinees?_

_His questions are answered when the examiner glanced towards the door, as if unsure what to do._

_Even if the action took a fraction of a second, it answered Minato's questions._

* * *

"From this," concluded Minato. "I have realized that there is still someone higher in rank than you, yet it cannot be the Raikage since he is meeting with our teachers at this very moment."

"Hn, guess they are kinda smart," Kushina mumbled under her breath, watching Minato break through the last of the jounin's pretenses.

As the jounin's mouth opened and closed like a fish, the sound of clapping drew the entire room's attention to the door.

"Well done!" a young woman complimented as she entered, ignoring the Kumo ninja who bowed at her arrival.

Her snow-white hair hung loose about her shoulders, yet she can't be older than twenty.

"Finally, someone with even stranger hair colours," Kushina murmured, receiving a pointed look from her brother.

"You may go," the white-haired woman nodded to the impostor, who bowed before leaving.

Focusing her attention completely on Minato, she proceeded to the genin and bent down so they are at eye levels.

"You name?" her amber eyes searched his face.

"Namikaze Minato," Minato stared back blankly, not giving anything away.

Grinning, Hikari Tomoe shook hands with the blonde genin.

"Namikaze Minato," she repeated.

"Kumo will always remember this name."

* * *

"Now," Tomoe said, addressing all the examinees. "Each team will get a chunin guide, who will show you the sights of Kumo and explain to you about the two stages of this exam."

She gestured, and the twenty chunin stepped forward, each standing in front of the team they are going to lead.

"Have fun," she smiled good-naturally. "The real exam begins tomorrow."

"And you may die."

* * *

"Hello, I am Hikari Kusagi."

Minato's team stared at the boy who is the same age as them.

His white hair fluttered in the wind. "I see that you have impressed my sister, Tomoe," he smiled, yet something was wrong with the way he smiled.

It never reached his eyes.

"Is white hair really common here?" Mikazuki asked boldly, unsettled by the thought of mistaking him for an old man.

"No," Kusagi answered, shaking hands with each of them. "It only appears in the Hikari family, and is the result of a Bloodline Limit."

"What kind of Bloodline?" Minato asked, intrigued.

Kusagi merely smiled mysteriously. "You will find out before the exam is over."

He stretched his hand towards the doorway. "Let us go outside and walk around the village. It is too stuffy in here."

* * *

"The exam is in two stages," Kusagi explained as they walked towards the hotel. "First stage, the three of you will be separated, each taking a different exam. Your scores will be totalled to calculate whether you will be qualified for the second stage."

"Second stage, you will fight as a team against a group for chunin, who will evaluate you. It is also a group mark. The chunin against whom you will fight will determine whether you pass or fail."

They stopped in front of the hotel. "Does any one of you wish to take the rest of the day off rather than explore the village?"

"Yes," Mikazuki admitted. "If you don't mind."

Kusagi laughed. "Not at all. It is understandable, for tomorrow will be a busy day."

Hoshibiki followed after Mikazuki. "I am going to see what sensei is doing," he said in response to Minato's questioning look.

"If he is harassing women, lock him out of our suite," Minato ordered.

Hoshibiki gave a half-hearted salute. "Understood, Minato-_sama_."

* * *

"So, what do you want to show me?" Minato asked.

Kusagi pointed north. "The waterfall."

It was a sight indeed. The water falls straight from the top of the Raikage Mountain to its base, plunging into the clouds below as they watched.

"Whoa," Minato breathed in awe.

Kusagi smiled, pleased at Minato's expression. "Look over there," he whispered.

A giant cloud had drifted in front of them. As they watched, it morphed into the shape of a man wearing Kage robes.

"The Shodaime Raikage," introduced Kusagi as the features of the man become more and more distinct.

"How do they do that?" Minato asked, interested.

"Genjutsu," Kusagi replied simply, a solem expression on his face as he watched the cloud.

Minato flicked his bangs out of his face. "You wish to be Raikage," he stated plainly.

"How do you know?" Kusagi asked, surprised.

_He is very observant,_ he thought. _I have to be more careful._

"From the way you look at the clouds, at the faces of the past Raikage," Minato stared as the cloud shifted, morphing into the Nidaime Raikage. "I recognized that expression. It is the same way I look at the Hokage Mountain."

A shadow passed over Kusagi's face. "Then I guess you have a better chance of achieving your dream than me."

"Why?" Minato pressed lightly.

"My father is the present Raikage," explained Kusagi. "My sister Tomoe is the prodigy of the family. The title will eventually go to her, not me."

Minato gave a weak laugh. "You have a Bloodline. Your father is the Raikage. No one can have a better starting point than you."

"Would you agree if I say that people who wish to become Kage are chasing clouds?" Kusagi asked.

"Yes," Minato agreed without hesitation. "But there is something that will definitely help me succeed."

Kusagi tilted his head. "What is that?"

"The will to die trying."

* * *

Written at three in the morning. Argh, it sucked.

A/N: I have been experimenting with mixing other elements together to form a new substance. I need a bloodline limit for Kumo-nin, so I obviously chose lightning as one of the elements. Then I tried water. The result? Haha. Hydrogen and oxygen.

Please review.

Next chapter will have more action. Minato and Kusihina will come face to face. Hehehe.


	15. Topaz: Darkness Within Light

_

* * *

_

Chapter 14 – Topaz: Darkness within Light

* * *

"What is Kumo hiding?" Jiraiya wondered as he leaned on the railing of a balcony. He stared at the opposing mountain where the exam is taking place.

"Something, _something_ is not right," he said to himself, wondering about the safety of his students.

"Something dark is manifesting itself within the light."

* * *

_1. Survival Race (Open Stadium) WARNING: HIGHEST DEATH RATE_

_2. Mental Tolerance (Room 1) WARNING: HIGHEST RISK OF LOSING SANITY_

_3. Analysis (Take any room that is not above or already taken) WARNING: HIGHEST RISK OF FAILING THE ENTIRE TEAM_

* * *

The three genin stared at the paper and then at each other.

"The topics are so vague," Minato said, perplexed.

Hoshibiki, shrugging, replies: "Well? Which one are you taking?"

"I am guessing that mental tolerance will be like testing how much pressure we can stand," Mikazuki said, biting her lip. "In other words, testing how easily enemies can extract information from us."

"I'll take it," Hoshibiki said quickly, then shrugged at his teammates' expressions. "I have done similar exams in Kiri. I can handle it."

"That leaves the first one and the last one," Minato said, looking at Mikazuki. "I'll take the first."

Seeing Mikazuki about to protest, Minato held up a hand. "This obviously requires great amounts of physical endurance," he said, glancing at her ankle. "Besides, I am the fastest."

Mikazuki opened her mouth, but then changed her mind. "Fine," she said. "Just…be careful."

"Right," agreed Minato.

"Are we done?" Hoshibiki, shifting his weight from one leg to another, asked impatiently.

Minato smiled cheerfully at him. "Why the sober face?" he asked. "It is not like we are not going to see each other again."

"Pfft," Mikazuki snorted.

"Good luck."

* * *

After both of his teammates has vanished from his view, Minato turned around. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the stadium.

"I see that our blonde friend has decided to join us," a familiar voice made him looks up.

It was the jounin from the day before. He looked at Minato with slight distaste before turning away.

"Get in line," he said.

_He is the examiner?_ Minato thought, heart sinking. _Great._

* * *

Hoshibiki raised his eyebrows as darkness began to eat away at the walls of room. Other examinees yelped in surprise as the curtain of black separated them from each other.

Hoshibiki extended his hands toward the darkness, but felt nothing.

_Genjutsu? _He thought, wondering, as voices from other genin continued to reach him.

"Today, or should I say 'tonight,'" an examiner's voice silenced the room.

"I will bring you your worst fears."

Hoshibiki shifted in his seat.

_Worst fears? This could be interesting._

"Of course," the examiner's voice continued, breaking through the darkness. "You may give up by raising your hand, and I will stop the... n_ightmare_ immediately."

"However," he continued. "The longer you stay, the higher marks your team will get. Do not attempt to break out of the genjutsu, or you will be disqualified immediately."

Hoshibiki clenched the edge of his desk as the darkness thickened.

"Each of you will get a unique image," a ball of darkness seemed to contract together, morphing into another shape.

"Here is the first."

The shape appeared to be human, gradually taking on other colours.

Hoshibiki narrowed his eyes, appalled, as the shadow-figure grew bright blonde hair and lively blue eyes.

"Minato?"

A second figure began to form beside Minato, needing only two colours for skin and clothes, as the blackness flowed into the eye-sockets to form a pair of onyx eyes.

But it didn't end here. As he watched, a red colour, a deep, pungent,_ blood_-red, began swirling around the two figures like snakes, staining their skin and becoming pools around their feet.

"What…is this?!"

* * *

_Taken, taken, taken_, Mikazuki read the signs hung over the row of doors, frustrated. She paused briefly in front of the room where Hoshibiki is taking his test and placed her ear on the closed door.

_It is awfully quiet_, she thought, worried_. Eerily quiet._

Shrugging, she continued down the hallway, looking at the signs hung over the doors.

_Aha._

Timidly, she turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

"Please come in," a voice beckoned from inside. "You have come for the Analysis Exam, no?"

Encouraged, Mikazuki stepped into the door, hearing it click behind her.

"Kindly turn the switch," a white-haired examiner instructed, nodding towards the latch nailed over the doornob.

Mikazuki blinked at the sight of the white hair. "Tomoe-sama?"

"Yes," Tomoe smiled. "Now do as I say."

Mikazuki obeyed, hearing a click as something dropped over the other side of the door.

"Sit,"

Turning around, Mikazuki walked to a comfortable-looking chair and sat down, eyeing her surroundings.

She was the only one in the room. Before her chair was a table at which three examiners sat.

"First of all, rules," Tomoe was the one who spoke as the shinobi beside her shifted papers, all the while looking over their examinee. "You will be asked to provide your thoughts and opinions on the imaginary scenarios we provide. You may not ask any questions and must depend solely on your own judgement."

Mikazuki nodded. "Sounds simple enough."

Tomoe pulled a piece of paper out of a stack, scanning it over. When finished, she clasped her hands over the paper and looked at her young examinee.

"In that case," she said. "Here is the first one. Listen carefully."

"In a village, beside a busy road, grows a plum tree that is full of fruit," she began, as her assistants took notes on Mikazuki's control over her emotions.

"You are with a group of children, who, when seeing the plum tree, raced to pick the plums. It was summer, and the plums are red and obviously ripe."

"What do you do?"

Mikazuki leaned back, bewildered. _Well, pick the plums, obviously,_ she thought to herself, careful to keep her face neutral. _But that is too easy. There has to be something deeper, something dark behind the light._

She glanced at Tomoe, whose amber eyes were filled with mirth.

_Ah,_ Mikazuki thought, eyes slightly widening, but then winced as the gesture was noticed by one of the assistants. He shook his head and wrote something down._ Definitely not a straight-forward question._

"Do nothing," she said instinctively. _Fine, I'll do the opposite._

Tomoe's expression did not change. "Why?"

_Think, think, think._

_In a city, by a busy road..._

_Wait._

_A busy road._

_A busy road…_

"Because the plums are either sour or bitter," Mikazuki answered.

Tomoe's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. "On what account?"

_Scratch. Scratch_, went the pens.

"If the plums are sweet," Mikazuki answered, closing her eyes in relief at having found a…rough-around-the-edges-but-made-sense-answer.

"There won't be any left on the tree."

At this, Tomoe's expression lightened. "Interesting," she said, returning her gaze to her piece of paper.

"Next," she said.

Mikazuki breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

"As you can probably guess from the title," the examiner, Yamazaki, said to Minato and the other examinees.

"This is not just any survival training. This is a race," he said, walking in front of the line and staring at each of the examinee's faces.

"Your objective: live three days without prepared food and water and arrive at your destination."

A murmur rose from the crowd.

"You are to 'live off of the land'," the examiner continued. "The destination is ten miles from here, behind—" he broke off abruptly, glaring at the few genin who had taken out pens and paper to write down his instructions.

"Put that away!" he barked severely. "What if this is a mission in enemy territory at night?" he demanded. "What if you have no paper? What if an enemy seizes the paper? Do you realize the extent of the damage such an action could do?"

Meekly, the rebuked genin gave their papers to the chunin who had come over to confiscate them.

"Take their pens as well," Yamazaki commanded, seeing a boy about to write something down on his hand. "Or cut off their hands. This is our village, our rules."

Minato fingered a pen in his pocket, relieved that he had decided not to take it out.

"As I was saying," the examiner continued. "It is ten miles north. There is a mountain on which only bamboo grows. It is situated beside a lake. Don't fall in," he warned. "The lakes of Kumo never freeze, yet remain icy all year, not to mention the canivores that dewell in them."

A couple of genin from Kirigakure shuddered.

"The finish line is on the other side of the mountain, where I will be waiting," the examiner finished, glaring at the Kiri-nin.

"Can we travel in partners?" a Suna genin asked, glancing at the other genin from his village.

Yamazaki smiled sinisterly. "Of course you may form alliances, for we need that skill during wartime, but beware," he said, looking at the audience, who gulped uneasily. "I am only going to give full marks to the first three arrivals. The rest of you will receive zeros."

"What?!"

"You should know what _that_ means," Yamazaki continued. "Your…friends could stab you in the back so you are unable to finish the race. They may help you for their own gains, yet once you have outlived your usefulness…hmph."

Minato clenched his hands into fists. "So it is a test of trust among comrades," he challenged.

Yamazaki looked at him impatiently. "Of course. There are no forever friends, nor are there forever enemies. Only _benefits_ last forever."

"Not only will you fight amongst yourselves for the top three places, but chunin will be sent out to hunt you as well," Yamasaki held up a strange looking collar.

"You are to put this around your neck. Once the smoke trapped within is released, you will be disqualified."

"Why?" someone asked.

"Because it means that you would be dead had this been a real life-or-death situation," explained Yamazaki. "Say that if I stabbed this person, this collar would prevent the kunai from inflicting life-threatening damage, yet it will release the smoke in exchange, disqualifying the examinee."

"It is also a 'help' signal," Yamazaki pointed to a cord dangling from the back of the collar. "If you think you can't make it, or you want to give up, send a surge of chakra up this cord, and it will release the white smoke. A tiny dab will work, so there is no problem if you ran out of chakra. We are able to see the smoke anywhere from Kumo, so medical assistance can be sent immediately."

He looked at all of the examinees in conclusion to his speech. "Remember; beware of not only your enemies, but also your friends."

"Let's begin."

* * *

Next chapter – Lapis Lazuli: Fatal Race, True Friendships?


	16. Silver: The Second Moon

A/N: Well….it has been a while…yes, I am not giving up on this story. Just a warning, though, that since it has been…what? several months? since my last update, so I don't really know what I have written before. (not sure if I want to know. Pretty sure it is crap, though). Therefore, there might be places that are inconsistent. In fact, I don't remember the characters' personalities anymore…. so don't be surprised if Minato becomes Naruto-like…..and…what is her name? Oh yeah, Kushina, becomes cynical and fastidious, or is she already like that? I don't remember anymore….Unfortuantely, I don't have time to stick all that I wanted to write in this chapter.

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_Chapter 15 ~ Silver: The Second Moon_

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_Being a genin, being with your genin team, is the best time you could ever have as a ninja. _

_As soon as you take the first step towards chunin, death awaits you. _

_Not just death, but a life of pain and suffering, of separation and conflict._

_To sacrifice so much to gain something, only to lose it again._

_To watch the people you love die before you, doing nothing._

_To turn against someone you trusted, respected, loved like a brother, due to your alliances to different villages._

_Chunin is the milestone in the life of ninja. It is from there that everything goes up rapidly, and then crashes down._

_~ Team J. _

* * *

_Jiraiya turned his head and saw the figure of a boy running towards him. The boy's golden hair is evident even across the distance that separated them. _

_In his mind's eye, however, Jiraiya saw something different. The boy's strides slowed, becoming larger and more fluid._

_As the figure approached, Jiraiya could see that Minato had an easy smile on his lips and was tucking the Hokage robe cautiously under one arm. Near him, moving so much like his shadow that Jiraiya didn't notice them at first, were Mikazuki and Hoshibiki. _

_Mikazuki was yanking off her mask in the most undignified manner, as if afraid to let people see her wearing it. She grimaced as her hair entangled with the strings that tied the mask in place. Dried blood adorned the handle of the sword strapped to her back._

_Hoshibiki was quickly taking off his gloves, but not before Jiraiya saw the bloodstains._

_Jiraiya sighed. He still could not get used to the sight of his students staining their hands with blood. _

_He studied Minato appraisingly, glad that at least the blonde is free of stains. As if reading his mind, Minato removed the cloak from underneath his arm and unfurled it with a great flourish._

_In everyplace where the cloak is meant to be white is now red with blood. _

_Before he could comprehend the sight before him, blood seeped out of the clothing of his two other students. _

_The redness ran down from their forehead protectors, oozed out of their sleeves, and even spilled out of Mikazuki's sword sheath. _

_Minato, a red haze clouding his clear blue eyes, said in a calm voice. "Don't worry sensei, we did not commit meaningless murder," he explained casually._

"_The blood is our own."_

* * *

For the fifty-fifth time, Jiraiya set down his telescope with a sigh. He had meant to do a little exploring, or rather, research, while his students are at the exams, yet the repeated appearances of his most recent hallucination would not let him concentrate.

A dark foreboding passed through him.

Is this how they will die?

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

With painstaking care, Minato spread apart the tall grass in front of him and stepped forward, carefully.

A twig crunched underneath his foot.

Cursing, he flipped backwards and sped back into the forest as a rain of shuriken struck where he had just been. After gaining momentum from a flexible young sapling, he propelled himself, with a bit of chakra, into the foliage of a sturdy oak. He watched moodily as a team of chunin ran past the tree.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Minato leaned back against the trunk to weigh his options.

Alone, he was able to escape the notice of most sentries without falling in their traps. He had arrived at a dense forest directly facing the mountain of bamboos, separated only by a lake, which the main examiner said not to swim in, and a low hill. However, the hill was heavily guarded, and so desolate that the merest difference of colour in clothing will be spotted immediately.

That may be a good thing as well, as Minato could clearly see that there are exactly ten chunin on the hill, each watching a different direction.

Groaning, Minato sank further back into the tree.

A dilemma.

He could either reach his destination by land or by water. By land means going through a mob of ninja whose abilities are obviously equal, if not above, Minato's own. He would be eliminated within seconds.

By water may or may not be safer, considering whatever may be in the lake. There must be a reason that Kumo decided to neglect guarding it. If he chooses to go by water, he needs a distraction so he will not be studded with kunai before he even reached the other side. In addition, travelling by water gives a disadvantage, as it is lower than the hill, which will make him an easy target.

Minato squinted at the sky. He has only one day left. Having only a little food left, he would have only enough energy to run high-speed past the hill, and maybe two major jutsu, in addition to small exertions of chakra. They are not enough to take on ten chunin. He may be able to eliminate three at most, given the advantage of surprise.

_Might as well give it a try._ He thought.

Decided, he gingerly slid down the tree, not wanting to draw upon his limited chakra.

Suddenly, something whizzed past him from below, nearly slitting his face. Spinning around and attaching his feet firmly to the trunk, Minato caught the object between his fingers, and almost dropped it due to its unexpectedly sharp edges.

It was a slice of metal. Moulded as thinly as paper, it is in the shape of a perfect circle. The weapon, if it is indeed one, has a diameter of the length of his thumb.

Warily, Minato looked around. Someone in possession of such insidious weapons must be a dangerous opponent. If thrown horizontally at high speed, it would literally vanish, like the needles used by medic-nin.

But these are much heavier, and therefore, much more dangerous than needles.

"I am surprised it did not slit your throat," a mocking tone said from the other side of the tree.

Instantly, Minato jumped to the ground, sliding a few feet away from the source of the voice.

_I must be losing my mind,_ he thought.

A girl, wearing the traditional garb of Iwagakure, stepped from behind the tree. Her hands were concealed by wide sleeves that no doubt concealed weapons.

Her jet-black eyes are cold.

"Meigetsu Mochizuki," she said in a quiet yet menacing voice. Her forehead protector glittered around her neck.

She pointed at his forehead protector. "Are you an ally or an enemy?"

Minato scowled. He did not like the fact that this strange girl is using weapons he had never seen before.

Furthermore, she is from an enemy village.

"If you will not answer me," the girl said, pulling up her right sleeve to reveal her hand, grasped around another circular metal disk. "You will be eliminated."

Minato shifted into a defensive stance, eyeing her warily.

"Or," she was in front of him in an instant. Minato, not anticipating her speed, jumped back, startled. "We form a temporary alliance to reach the destination we both desire."

"Why me?" Minato narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "There are other genin due to arrive soon."

The girl smiled. "I followed you. You are the fastest and strongest out of everyone else. I have eliminated all others near us. Less competition."

She seems to speak with nothing but short, monotonous sentences, and with such a queer accent that Minato has trouble understanding her immediately.

"An alliance?" Minato repeated disbelievingly.

Mochizuki remained smiling, sending a chill up Minato's back.

Minato forced himself to think quickly. Weakened as he is, he would not be able to finish the fight quickly should the girl decide to attack. Should he be forced to use jutsu, he will risk attracting attention from the Kumo guards.

"I accept," he said finally, with slight difficulty. _Will I be branded a traitor?_ he wondered.

To his surprise, Mochizuki held out her hand. In between her fingers were four more round metal disks. Slowly, she spread the disks in her hands, like a deck of cards.

"Don't move," she warned, eyes narrowed.

Before Minato could respond, the weapons were out of Mochizuki's hand, speeding towards him. Minato was about to reach for a kunai when he realized that the weapons were not aimed at him, but at something behind.

All he saw was the flash of unmistakable red hair before the weapons sunk into their target with a sickening crunch.

The body fell to the ground, limp.

"Che. Whirlpool," Mochizuki scowled.

* * *


End file.
